"Hh" in Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English pot

Hh
H noun heroin US, 1926. < the H Houston, Texas US, 1998
H-17 noun in casino blackjack gambling, a rule that the dealer must
draw a card if he has a 17 made with an ace counting 11 points.
The ‘h’ is for HIT US, 1996
H8 verb in text messaging, hate. A variant spelling; one of several
constructions in which a syllable pronounced ‘ate’ is replaced by
the homophone ‘eight’
UK, 2002
hab noun a habitual criminal US, 1963
habit noun an addiction to any drug UK, 1881
habitual noun < the habitual a criminal charge alleging habitual
criminal status US, 1972
Habra Dabra and the crew noun any random representatives of
the populace. The functional equivalent of ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’
BARBADOS, 1965
hache noun heroin. The Spanish pronunciation of the letter ‘h’ US,
1955
hachi; hodgy noun the penis US, 1954
hack noun 1 ajournalist,areporterUK, 1810. 2 a prison guard US, 1914.
3 a solution to a computer problem; an impressive and
demanding piece of computer work US, 1981. 4 in computing, a
quick, often temporary, fix of a problem US, 1983. 5 a single act of
unlawfully invading and exploring another’s computer system by
remote means US, 1983. 6 an opportunist. Used at Oxford University
UK, 1980. 7 a taxi US, 1928. 8 a hot rod US, 1958. 9 a brakevan (caboose)
US, 1916. 10 a game of Hacky Sack US, 1997
hack verb 1 to tolerate, endure, survive. Usually used with ‘it’ US, 1952.
2 to bother, to annoy US, 1893. 3 to unlawfully invade and explore
another’s computer system by remote means US, 1983. 4 to investi-
gate the possibilities of a computer purely for the pleasures of

discovery; to create new possibilities for a computer without
commercial consideration US, 1983. 5 to work with a computer US,
1981. 6 to drive a taxi US, 1903. 7 to play with a hacky sack beanbag
US, 1995. < hack butts to smoke cigarettes CANADA, 1993. < hack
it
to cope with, to accomplish US, 1952
hack around; hack off; hack verb to waste time, usually in a
context where time should not be wasted US, 1888
hack driver noun in horse racing, a jockey US, 1951
hacked; hacked off adjective annoyed US, 1936
hacker noun 1 a person who uses their computer expertise in any
effort to breach security walls and gain entry to secure sites US,
1963. 2 a person with a profound appreciation and affection for
computers and programming US, 1981. 3 an expert in any field US,
1983. 4 a taxi driver BAHAMAS, 1982
hackette noun a female journalist. Patronising UK, 1984
hackie noun a carriage or taxi driver US, 1899
hack mode noun while working on or with a computer, a state of
complete focus and concentration
US, 1991
Hackney Wick noun a penis. Rhyming slang for PRICK. Hackney Wick
is an area of East London, located considerably closer to the source
of Cockney rhyming slang than the more popular synonym
HAMPTON WICK UK, 1998
hacktivist noun a cultural activist and skilled computer-user who
invades a corporate website to leave subversive messages UK, 2001
hacky sack noun a beanbag used in a game in which a circle of
players try to keep the bag from hitting the ground without using
their hands. A trademarked product that has lent its name to a
game and to rival products

US, 1989
haddock and cod; haddock noun used as a general pejorative, a
sod. Rhyming slang UK, 1962
had-it noun a person who was formerly successful UK, 1992
had-it adjective exhausted; completely worn out. Hawaiian youth
usage
US, 1981
haemorrhoid noun 1 an irritation, an annoying person. An
excruciating pun on ‘pain in the ass’
US, 1975. 2 a despised person
US, 1969
haffie noun 8see: HALF-JACK
ha-fucking-ha!; ha-bloody-ha!; ha-di-fucking-ha!; hardy
fuckin’ ha, ha!
used as a jeering response to unfunny jokes; and
to dismiss impossible suggestions
UK, 1976
hag verb to annoy, to bother BARBADOS, 1965
hagged out adjective 1 exhausted US, 1968. 2 (of a woman) ugly. From
‘hag’ (an unattractive woman), possibly punning on
SHAGGED;
SHAGGED OUT (tired) US, 2001
Haggis McBagpipe nickname British Columbia radio and television
personality Jack Webster
CANADA, 1989
ha-ha noun a glass of beer; beer US, 1979
ha-ha bird; ha-ha pigeon noun a kookaburra, a well-known
Australian bird. From its call which resembles human laughter
AUSTRALIA, 1938
ha-ha-funny adjective 8see: F UNNY HA-HA

Haight nickname < the Haight the Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood
of San Francisco US, 1967
Haight-Ashbury nickname a neighbourhood in San Francisco, the
epicentre of the hippie movement in the mid- to late 1960s. From
the intersection of Haight and Ashbury Streets. More recently
referred to simply as THE HAIGHT US, 1987
hail noun 1 crack cocaine. Based on the drug’s resemblance to pieces
of hail US, 1994. 2 in soda fountain usage, ice US, 1935
hailer noun in the television and film industries, a bullhorn US, 1977
Hail Mary noun 1 a last-minute, low-probability manoeuvre US, 1994.
2 in poker, a poor hand that a player holds into high betting in the
hope that other players are bluffing and have even worse hands
US, 1996
hail smiling morn noun the erect penis, an erection. Rhyming slang
for
HORN UK, 1980
haim noun 8see: HA ME
haint; hain’t a have-not; to have not. Verb and noun. A vulgar
contraction UK, 1971
hair noun 1 courage US, 1959. 2 in computing, intricacy US, 1981. < get
in someone’s hair
to annoy or irritate someone US, 1949. < let
your hair down
to behave in a (more than usually) uninhibited
manner US, 1933. < put hair on your chest; put hairs on your
chest
a quality ascribed to an alcoholic drink or, when
encouraging a child to eat, used of food (especially crusts and
brussel sprouts); also applied more broadly to robust or challenging
questions of aesthetic taste or preference

UK, 1964. < tear your
hair; tear your hair out
to behave in a highly agitated manner,
especially as a result of worry UK, 1606. < wear your hair out
against the head of the bed; wear your hair out on the
bedhead
to go bald. A jocular explanation UK, 1961
hairbag noun a veteran police officer US, 1958
hairbagger noun an experienced police officer US, 1958
hairball noun 1 an obnoxious, boorish person, especially when drunk
US, 1981. 2 a large, powerful wave US, 1981
hairball! terrifying! US, 1998
hairblower noun a severe telling-off, a scolding UK, 2002
hairburger noun the vulva, especially in the context of oral sex US,
1971
hair burner; hair bender noun a hair stylist US, 1964
haircut noun 1 a short prison sentence. From the short period of
time between haircuts
UK, 1950. 2 a lowering of the true mileometer
(odometer) reading of a motor vehicle to increase its resale value
NEW ZEALAND, 1990. 3 marijuana UK, 2003. 4 a sore on a man’s penis as
the result of a sexually transmitted infection. From the popular
belief that the sore was caused by a woman’s pubic hair
TRINIDAD
AND TOBAGO
, 2003
haircut adjective describes an image of fashionability that is without
deeper significance
UK, 2000
hairdresser noun a homosexual. From the presumption that all

hairdressers are gay
UK, 2001
hair -dry adjective without getting your hair wet US, 1991
haired up adjective angry. From a dog’s bristling back when angry US,
1914
hair fairy noun a homosexual male with an extravagant hairdo US,
1964
hair in the gate noun in television and film-making, any foreign
object in the camera gate
US, 1990
hair pie noun 1 the vulva; oral sex performed on a woman. Also
spelt ‘hare’ pie or ‘hairy’ pie
US, 1938. 2 a pizza with an errant hair
embedded in it. Limited usage, but clever
US, 1996
hairpins noun homosexual code phrases inserted casually into a
conversation, trolling for a response US, 1950
hairtree noun a man who wears his hair long and styled as a fashion
statement
US, 1996
hair-trunk noun in horse racing, a bad-looking horse that performs
poorly UK, 1948
hairy noun 1 a long-haired, bearded individual UK, 1976. 2 aformer
non-commissioned officer training to become an officer. Military
UK, 1981. 3 a young woman with a reputation for sluttishness.
Glasgow slang UK: SCOTLAND, 1985. 4 heroin. A phonetic distortion of
HARRY US, 1973
hairy adjective 1 dangerous; scary (especially if thrilling) US, 1945. 2 bad,
difficult, undesirable. A popular term in C19, resurrected in later
C20 youth usage UK, 1848. 3 in computing, complicated US, 1983.

4 good, impressive US, 1959
hairy-arse; hairy-arsed adjective describes a thuggish, insensitive
brute UK, 2001
hairyback; hairy noun an Afrikaner. Derogatory SOUTH AFRICA, 1970
hairy bank noun a prostitute’s vagina GUYANA, 1998
hairy belly noun in dominoes, the 6–6 piece US, 1959
hairy chequebook noun the vagina, as used for payment in kind
instead of money AUSTRALIA, 1996
hairy clam noun the vagina. An almost subtle combination of FISH
and visual imagery UK, 2000
hairy eyeball noun a hostile stare. Deriving, perhaps, from the
eyelashes that mask the eye US, 1995
hairy fairy adjective of a man, effeminate to some degree. A pun on
AIRY-FAIRY (delicate, insubstantial) and FAIRY (a homosexual man) UK,
1978
hairy goat noun a racehorse that is a slow runner or poor performer
AUSTRALIA, 1933
hairy goblet noun the vagina UK, 2001
hairy growler noun the vagina UK, 2001
hairy leg noun 1 a man. CItizens’ band radio slang UK, 1981. 2 a
railway fettler
AUSTRALIA, 1969
hairy maclary noun a female who invites sexual foreplay but stops
short of intercourse NEW ZEALAND, 1998
ha-ja noun 8see: HALF-JACK
hale and hearty adjective a party. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
Hale and Pace; hale noun the face. Rhyming slang, from comedy
double act Gareth Hale and Norman Pace UK, 2002
half noun 1 used colloquially as an elliptical noun when the original
noun is omitted, especially of a half pint (of beer)

UK, 1937. 2 a child
travelling at half-fare UK, 1961
half adverb 1 used in exaggerations, as in ‘I half killed him’ UK, 2001.
2 used to reverse what is being said, which is usually formed as a
negative, and thus stress the intention, i.e. ‘not half bad’ is pretty
good
UK, 1583
half a bar noun until 1971, ten shillings; post-decimalisation, fifty
pence
UK, 1911
half a C noun fifty dollars. A shortened allusion to $100 as a ‘C-note’
US, 1967
half a case noun fifty cents US, 1950
half a chip noun sixpence, a sixpenny bit UK, 1950
half a cock noun five pounds (£5). Based on rhyming slang COCKLE
AND HEN
(ten) UK, 1950
half a crack noun a half-crown coin, half-a-crown, two shillings and
sixpence. A coin and coinage that paid the price of decimalisation
in 1971 UK, 1933
half a dollar noun 1 a prison sentence of 50 years US, 1990. 2 ahalf-
crown coin; two shillings and sixpence. Pre-decimalisation, that is
pre-1971, a half-crown coin was valued at two shillings and
sixpence (equivalent to 12½ p), and, presumably, at the point of
coinage, a pound was worth approximately four US dollars
UK, 1916
half a football field noun fifty crystals of crack cocaine UK, 2001
half-a-man noun a short person US, 1997
half a mo noun a very short but vaguely defined time. A shortening
of ‘half a moment’

UK, 1896
half and half noun 1 oral sex on a man followed by vaginal
intercourse US, 1937. 2 a hermophrodite US, 1935. 3 a pint drink
comprising equal measures of two different beers UK, 1909
half and half adjective 1 mediocre TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1958.
2 bisexual US, 1975
half a nicker noun 1 pre-decimalisation, ten shillings; after 1971,
fifty pence. From NICKER (one pound) UK, 1895. 2 a vicar. Rhyming
slang. Also variant ‘half-nicker man’ UK, 1974
half-apple noun in television and film-making, a standard-sized crate
used for raising objects or people, half as high as a standard
‘apple’ US, 1990
half-assed; half-arsed adjective 1 inferior, unsatisfactory,
incompetent
US, 1865. 2 incomplete, not serious, half-hearted US, 1933
half a stretch noun 1 a six-month prison sentence. From ‘stretch’ (a
year’s sentence) UK, 1950. 2 gambling odds of 6–1 UK, 1984
half a yard noun fifty dollars US, 1961
half-baked adjective intellectually deficient. Dialect UK, 1855
half-chat noun a half-caste. Also used in Australia UK, 1909
half-cock noun < go off at half-cock generally, to start without
being ready; in sex, to ejaculate prematurely or without being fully
erect. A variation of HALF-COCKED UK, 1904
half-cock adjective ill-considered; inferior UK, 2002. < at half-cock
not fully prepared or ready UK, 2000
half-cocked adjective 1 not fully capable; not completely thought
out; unfinished; incomplete. Derives from the mechanism of a
gun
US, 1833. 2 drunk AUSTRALIA, early C19. < go off half-cocked gen-
erally, to start without being ready; in sex, to ejaculate prematurely

or without being fully erect. Gun imageny
UK, 1809
half colonel noun a lieutenant-colonel US, 1956
half-cut adjective drunk UK, 1893
half-cuts noun trainers (sneakers) BARBADOS, 1998
halfers noun < go halfers; go haufers to share equally between
two parties UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
half-fried adjective of eggs, fried on one side only. The Indian-English
equivalent to
SUNNY SIDE UP INDIA, 1979
half G noun a half-gallon jar of alcohol NEW ZEALAND, 1971
half-gone adjective half-drunk UK, 1925
hair burner; hair bender | half-gone 316
half-half adjective mediocre FIJI, 1996
half-hearty adjective of medicore health, recovering from an illness
but not completely recovered
BARBADOS, 1965
half-het noun a bisexual US, 1995
half hour noun a short prison sentence. A little bravado in this
prisoner’s exaggeration
UK, 2002
halfie noun a half-caste person AUSTRALIA, 1945
half-inch verb to steal; to arrest. Rhyming slang for PINCH (to steal or
to arrest)
UK, 1925
half-iron noun a heterosexual or bisexual man who associates with
homosexuals. From ‘iron’ (a homosexual male)
UK, 1950
half-jack; ha-ja; haffie noun a half-bottle (375 ml) of spirits SOUTH
AFRICA

, 1953
half-load noun fifteen packets of heroin US, 1973
half-man noun a kneeboarder, or a surfer who rides without standing
US, 1991
half-mast adjective 1 (used of a penis) partially but not completey
erect US, 1972. 2 partially lowered US, 1871
half of marge noun a police sergeant. Rhyming slang for SARGE,
formed from a measure of margarine UK, 1998
half-ounce verb to cheat UK, 1960
half-ounce deal noun in prison, a trade that swaps a half ounce of
tobacco for a single marijuana cigarette UK, 1996
half ounce of baccy noun a Pakistani, especially a Pakistani child.
An elaboration (perhaps a reduction) of OUNCE OF BACCY (PAKI) UK,
1992
half ouncer noun a physically intimidating individual employed to
control the clients of any establishment, usually of a premises
offering entertainment, e.g. pub, club, concert venue, music
festival, etc; a ‘chucker-out’; door-security. Rhyming slang for
BOUNCER, with a degree of irony UK, 1992
half past six adjective incompetent. A sexual reference, with the
hands of the clock indicating impotence SINGAPORE, 2002
half past two noun a Jewish person. Rhyming slang UK, 1960
halfpenny dip; ha’penny dip; ha’penny noun 1 a sleep. Rhyming
slang for
KIP UK, 1980. 2 a ship. Rhyming slang UK, 1961
halfpenny stamp; ha’penny noun a tramp. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
half-pick duck noun an incomplete account TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1975
half-pie adjective half-hearted AUSTRALIA, 1941
half-pie adverb not fully AUSTRALIA, 1992
half piece noun 14g (½ oz) of a powdered drug, especially heroin US,

1938
half-pint noun a short person. From the non-metric measure of
volume US, 1876
half-pipe noun a trough in a snow slope used for aerial manoeuvres
in snowboarding US, 1993
half-power noun a worker working with a hangover US, 1980
half-rack noun in the US, half a case of beer (12 bottles or cans); in
Canada, a six-pack of beer US, 1997
half-scooped; hauf-scooped adjective tipsy UK: SCOTLAND, 1988
half-seas-over adjective half-drunk UK, 1700
half-sheet noun a punishment, usually a fine, received by a prison
warder. This generalised term derives from the half-sheet of blank
paper that an officer is given to explain his conduct
UK, 1950
half smart adjective stupid US, 1927
half-soaked adjective moderately competent UK, 2001
half stamp noun a tramp. Rhyming slang UK, 1984
half-step verb to make a half-hearted, insincere effort US, 1990
half-stepper noun a person who does things only halfway and
cannot be counted on US, 1981
half tanked adjective mildy drunk AUSTRALIA, 1971
half track noun crack cocaine. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
half-wit noun a stupid fool UK, 1755
half your luck you’re so lucky! Elliptical for ‘I wish I had half your
luck’
AUSTRALIA, 1933
halibut head noun to the indigenous peoples of Alaska, a white
person US, 1965
halter noun a necktie US, 1960
halvsies noun 1 half a share of something that is to be divided.

Variants include ‘halfsies’ and ‘halfies’ US, 1927. 2 mutual oral sex
performed simultaneously US, 1985
ham noun 1 an amateur shortwave radio operator and enthusiast US,
1919. 2 theatrical antics US, 1930. 3 in circus and carnival usage, food
or a meal US, 1981. 4 any type of alcoholic drink US, 1997. 5 a
member of the armed forces in complete dress uniform
US, 1991.
6 overtime UK, 1970
ham verb 1 to over-act, to be an inferior actor US, 1930. 2 to walk US,
1962. < ham it up to behave theatrically, to exaggerate US, 1955
ham actor; ham actress; ham noun an unsubtle actor US, 1881
ham and beef noun a chief prison warder. Rhyming slang UK, 1962
ham and egg; ham noun the leg. Rhyming slang UK, 1932
ham-and-egger noun 1 in professional wrestling, a wrestler whose
regular role is to lose to help the careers of others. A slight vari-
ation on the boxing original
US, 1999. 2 in oil drilling, an operator
who has suffered loss after loss and is now burdened with poor
credit US, 1954. 3 an inconsequential person who has achieved little
US, 1985
ham and egging noun a general system or understanding that
allows different members of a sports team to achieve best per-
formances at complementary times US, 1997
ham and eggs cap noun 8see: SCRAMBLED EGGS CAP
hambone noun 1 a male striptease act. A popular male display in
the 1960s
AUSTRALIA, 1964. 2 atromboneUS, 1934. 3 a telephone.
Rhyming slang UK, 1992. 4 a black prisoner US, 1989
hamburger noun a socially inept outcast. High school usage US, 1949
hamburger helper noun 1 crack cocaine. The drug bears some

resemblance to a brand name food product
US, 1994. 2 a linear
amplifier for a citizens’ band radio US, 1976
Hamburger Hill nickname Dong Ap Bia Mountain in South Vietnam,
close to the Laos border. Taken at great cost by the US Marines in
battle in May 1969, and then quietly abandoned a week later. Of
marginal tactical importance and ultimately symbolic of the lack
of military vision
US, 1971
hamburger home noun a boarding house used by oil field workers
US, 1954
hame; haim; haym noun a job, especially a menial or unpleasant
one US, 1941
hamfat noun an amateur performer US, 1911
hamhock circuit noun a tour of black bars and nightclubs US, 1975
Hamilton noun a ten-dollar bill. From the engraving of Alexander
Hamilton on the note
US, 1948
hammed adjective drunk US, 1997
hammer noun 1 the penis US, 1967. 2 a handgun US, 1994. 3 heroin NEW
ZEALAND
, 1982. 4 an attractive girl or young woman US, 1970. 5 a pizza
with ham topping US, 1996. 6 an accelerator pedal. Citizens’ band
radio slang, often as ‘back off the hammer’ (to slow down) and
‘put the hammer down’ (to accelerate) US, 1974. 7 in shuffleboard,
the eighth and final shot US, 1967. 8 in bar dice games, the player
who wins the chance to play first US, 1971. < on your hammer
1 following close behind; tailing. From HAMMER AND NAIL AUSTRALIA,
1942. 2 badgering. From HAMMER AND TACK AUSTRALIA, 1955. < put the
hammer on

to press someone for something IRELAND, 1984
hammer verb 1 to drive a vehicle at maximum speed AUSTRALIA, 1960.
2 to inflict a resounding defeat UK, 1948. 3 to beat up UK, 1973. 4 to
stretch physical limits UK, 2002. < get hammered 1 while surfing,
to be knocked from your surfboard and violently thrashed by the
surf
US, 1988. 2 in mountain biking, to experience a violent accident
US, 1992
317 half-half | hammer
hammer and discus noun facial hair, whiskers. Rhyming slang UK,
1998
hammer and nail; hammer verb to follow, to tail. Rhyming slang
UK, 1961
hammer and tack noun the back. Rhyming slang AUSTRALIA, 1977
hammer and tongs adverb energetically, vigorously, strongly;
violently. From the vigorous use a blacksmith makes of these tools
UK, 1708
hammer-blowed adjective drunk UK, 2002
hammered adjective drunk US, 1960
hammerhead noun one of several kinds of inferior horse US, 1941
hammerheading noun 1 an act of taking a recreational drug cocktail
of MDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy, and
Viagra™ (a branded drug that enables a male erection). From the
after-effect of a throbbing headache
UK, 2003
hammering noun a defeat, a significant defeat; a beating UK, 1900
hammer man noun a male of considerable sexual prowess. Related
to the expression ‘going at it hammer and tongs’ to describe
highly energetic sexual activity
IRELAND, 1997

hammers noun the female thighs US, 1980
hammer-slammer noun an airframe technician. US Army usage US,
1998
hammer time noun a decisive point; the time to launch a military
attack. Adapted from a catchphrase attached, in the late 1980s, to
California rapper MC Hammer US, 2003
hammock noun a sanitary towel. Generally used by young males,
often in the jocular formula: ‘hammock for a bleeding lazy cunt’
UK, 2003
hammock for two noun a brassiere US, 1963
hammock season noun the bleed period of the menstrual cycle.
The image of a sanitary towel as a WEE HAMMOCK or ‘mouse’s
hammock’ SOUTH AFRICA, 2001
hammy adjective melodramatic, theatrical US, 1899
hammy; hammie noun ahamstringAUSTRALIA, 1986
ham patch noun a telephone connection enabled by shortwave
radio ANT ARCTICA, 1997
Hampden roar noun the state of affairs, the current situation.
Rhyming slang for THE SCORE, formed from the name of Scotland’s
national stadium and the roar of a football crowd UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
Hampstead Heath; hampsteads; ampstids; hamps noun the
teeth. Rhyming slang, from a rural area of north London UK, 1887
Hampton Court; hampton noun salt. Rhyming slang, formed on a
historic Surrey location. Do not confuse it with Hampton Wick
(the penis)
UK, 1992
Hampton Wick; Hampton; Wick noun 1 a penis. Rhyming slang
for PRICK (the penis), after a suburb of London. A polite
euphemism in its reduced forms UK, 1960. 2 a fool. Rhyming slang
for PRICK (general term of offence) UK, 1977

ham sandwich noun language. Glasgow rhyming slang; this is a
convincing rhyme in the appropriate accent UK: SCOTL AND, 1988
ham shank noun 1 an American. Rhyming slang for YANK. Originally
a World War 2 Merchant Navy coinage to describe American ships
or men, subsequently adopted by the Americans
UK, 1960. 2 abank.
Rhyming slang UK, 1994. 3 an act of masturbation. Rhyming slang
for WANK UK, 2002
ham stealer noun a thief who steals to eat, rather than for profit US,
1976
hamster noun a discrete piece of computer code that does what it is
supposed to do well US, 1991
hamster crab; crab noun a type of scratch (a manipulation of a
record to create a musical effect). Derives from the crab-like
movements of the DJ’s fingers; ‘hamster’ is a reference to the
hamster-switch UK, 2002
hamster-style noun a method of manipulating record turntables in
which the priorities are reversed. DJ jargon; on a sound mixer the
hamster switch is a crossfader reverse switch, so named for the
‘BulletProof Scratch Hamsters’ who are credited with its invention
in the mid-1990s
UK, 2002
Hancock verb to sign. A shortened version of JOHN HANCOCK.From
his admirable signature on the Declaration of Independence
US,
1967
hand noun five; in betting, odds of 5–1. From the TICK-TACK signal
used by bookmakers
UK, 1991. < do it with one hand tied
behind your back

to do something very easily US, 1889. < hand
has no hair
used for expressing a willingness to accept money in
the present situation TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1982
hand verb < hand it to to admit the superiority of someone or
something US, 1914
HAND in text messaging, have anice day UK, 2003
hand and a half noun in betting, odds of 11–2. In bookmaker
slang
HAND is 5–1, here the addition of a ‘half’ increases the odds
to 5½-1 or 11–2 UK, 1991
hand and fist adjective drunk. Rhyming slang, always used in full,
for PISSED UK, 1992
H and B adjective sexually aroused; hot and bothered US, 1968
handbag noun 1 an attractive male escort for a woman at a social
engagement AUSTRALIA, 1967. 2 a male homosexual AUSTRALIA, 1992.
3 money. Also variant ‘hambag’ UK, 1984
handbag-positive adjective applied to a confused and disoriented
patient, lying in a hospital bed, clutching their handbag or purse.
A jocular medical condition
UK, 2002
handbags noun a minor verbal or physical disagreement, especially
on a sports pitch UK, 2003
Handbags nickname second battalion, Royal Green Jackets UK, 1995
handbags at dawn a minor verbal or physical disagreement UK, 2001
handbags at ten paces a conflict that, despite its potential for
violent confrontation, comes to nothing more than posturing. The
number of paces may vary UK, 1991
handball verb to insert your lubricated hand into your partner’s
rectum or vagina, providing sexual pleasure for both US, 1979

handballing noun the insertion of a hand and fist into a person’s
rectum or vagina for sexual gratification US, 1999
hand bomb verb to throw a just-caught salmon using both hands
CANADA, 1989
handbook noun a bookmaker who operates on the street, without
the benefit of a fixed office US, 1973
handbrake noun a wife or girlfriend, seen as preventing a man from
having a good time AU STRALIA, 1998
handbrakie noun a handbrake turn AUSTRALIA, 1996
H and C noun a mixture of heroin and cocaine. A play on ‘hot and
cold’, shown on taps as H and C US, 1971
hand cannon noun a large pistol. Used for effect, quaintly old-
fashioned
US, 1929
handcuff noun an engagement or wedding ring US, 1926
handcuffed adjective married US, 1945
hand-doodle noun to masturbate US, 1968
H and E noun high explosives US, 1971
-handed suffix denotes the specific or general size of a gang when
combined with a unit of measurement, e.g. two-, ten-, mob-
handed
UK, 1999
hand fuck verb to insert a lubricated fist into a partner’s rectum or
vagina, leading to sexual pleasure for both US, 1979
handful noun 1 a troublesome person who is difficult to control;
something difficult to control UK, 1887. 2 a prison sentence of five
years
US, 1930. 3 in a restaurant or soda fountain, five US, 1967. 4 in
racing, five. As high as you can count on one hand. To win by ‘a
couple of handfuls’ is to win by ten lengths

UK, 1937. 5 five pounds
(£5) UK, 1961. 6 gambling odds of 5–1, especially among
bookmakers UK, 1984. < get a handful; have a handful to
fondle a woman’s breasts, buttocks or genitals UK, 1977
hammer and discus | handful 318
hand gallop noun an act of male masturbation US, 1971
hand gr enaded adjective (used of a racing car engine) exploded and
damaged
US, 1980
handicap noun a sexually transmitted infection, especially
gonorrhoea. Rhyming slang for
CLAP UK, 1992
handicap chase; handicap noun a face, especially an ugly face.
Rhyming slang
UK, 1992
handie noun an act of manual masturbation. From HAND JOB
AUSTRALIA
, 1994
handies noun fondling of hands by lovers AUSTRALIA, 1915
handing out noun in prison, the act of separating an imprisoned
mother from her baby (subject to disciplinary exceptions the
parent and child may spend up to eighteen months in a mother
and baby unit)
UK, 1996
hand jig; hand gi g noun masturbation US, 1962
hand jive noun 1 a rhythmic pattern of hand-movements performed
to music as a substitute for more usual forms of dance; hence,
obscure hand signals
US, 1958. 2 an act of masturbating a male UK,
2003

hand job noun 1 manual stimulation of another’s genitals US, 1937.
2 in trucking, cargo that must be hand-loaded US, 1971
hand-job verb to masturbate another person US, 1969
handle noun 1 aname,anicknameUS, 1837. 2 a self-attributed
identity used on citizens’ band radio
US, 1974. 3 a big nose US, 1750.
4 a glass of beer served in a 10-fluid-ounce glass with a handle
AUSTRALIA, 1943. 5 a half-pint glass of beer NEW ZEALAND, 1994. 6 in
horse racing, the total amount bet, either on a given race or an
entire season US, 1951. < get a handle on to gain a means of
comprehending or controlling someone or something US, 1972
handle verb to stay in control. Hawaiian youth usage as an
intransitive verb US, 1981. < handle swollen goods (of a male) to
masturbate. Punning a criminal activity: ‘to handle stolen goods’
UK, 2001
handler noun 1 a drug dealer who deals in large quantities to retail-
level sellers US, 1953. 2 in drag racing, a driver US, 1968
handles noun in basketball, ball-handling skill US, 1997
handle-slammer noun a person who manipulates the handles of a
slot machine that is in need of repair, forcing the machine to pay
out regardless of the spin US, 1984
hand like a foot noun in card games, a very bad hand of cards.
A pun that was previously used of poor handwriting. Currently in
popular use at Internet sites devoted to poker
UK, 1956
handmade noun 1 a large penis. An allusion to the belief that
excessive masturbation will produce a larger-than-average penis US,
1967. 2 a hand-rolled cigarette US, 1988
hand mucker noun in gambling, a cheat who switches cards US, 1979
handout noun in prison, the act of giving a prisoner’s property to a

visitor for removal UK, 1996
hand over fist adverb very quickly, especially applied to making or
losing money UK, 1888
hand queen noun a male homosexual who favours masturbating his
partner US, 1964
hand-reared adjective endowed with a large penis. A reference to
masturbation, presumably with the suggestion that such manipu-
lation promotes growth
UK, 1961
hand r elief noun masturbation in the context of a hand massage –
a sexual service offered in some massage parlours US, 1988
hand ride noun in horse racing, a race run without using a whip US,
1974
hand-rolled noun a marijuana cigarette. Mildly euphemistic, and
thus mildly humorous
US, 1978
hands noun < put your hands up to confess, especially to admit
to a crime. The universal gesture of surrender. The singular ‘put
your hand up’ seems unlikely; it smacks of a schoolchild seeking
attention UK, 1970
hands and feet noun meat. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
hands and heels adjective in horse racing, used for describing a ride
in which the jockey did not use his whip
AUSTRALIA, 1989
handshake noun 1 the synchronisation mechanism of two
computers or two programs US, 1991. 2 to engage in mutual
masturbation
US, 1961
hand shandy; handy shandy noun an act of male masturbation
UK, 1997

hand shoe noun a glove US, 1977
hands off cocks – feet in socks!; hands off your cocks and
pull up your socks!; hands off cocks – on with s ocks!;
hands off cocks, on socks!
used for awakening sleeping men.
Military usage UK, 1976
handsome! excellent, first-rate; used for registering approval UK, 1997
hand thing noun the act of masturbating a man. A variation of
HAND-JOB US, 2001
hand-to-gland combat noun an act of masturbation, especially if
conducted with vigour. A pun on ‘hand-to-hand combat’ AUSTRALIA,
1998
hand tools noun lockpicks, screwdrivers and other tools used by
burglars US, 1982
hand to rouf noun in betting, odds of 5–4. A combination of HAND
(five) and ROUF (four) UK, 1991
hand up verb to incriminate UK, 2002
handwave verb to oversimplify or give a cursory explanation of a
complicated point
US, 1981
handy noun among antique dealers, an antique small enough to
conceal in the palm of the hand UK, 2003
handy adjective good at fighting UK, 1997
hane adjective disgusting. An abbreviation of HEINOUS US, 1993
hang noun 1 a little bit. Used as a euphemism for ‘damn’; always in
the negative UK, 1861. 2 used as a euphemism for ‘hell’ SOUTH AFRICA,
1960. 3 a person who regularly spends time in one place, or around
people and places that are in some way associated US, 1996. 4 ajob
US, 1950. < get the hang of something to learn how to do
something US, 1847. < give a hang; care a hang to care, to be

concerned – usually in a negative context
UK, 1861
hang verb 1 to turn, especially but not exclusively applied to driving
a vehicle. Usually in the phrase ‘hang a left/right’ (to make a
left/right turn)
US, 1967. 2 to tolerate, to keep up with US, 1993. 3 used
for registering annoyance, impatience, etc, as in ‘hang the
expense’. From the sense ‘to execute by hanging’ UK, 1392. 4 to idle
US, 1941. 5 (used of a computer program) to wait in suspension for
something that will not occur US, 1983. < hang crepe in a
hospital, to manage a patient’s expectations by leading them to
expect the very worst US, 1994. < hang five to surf with five toes
extended over the front edge of the board
US, 1963. < hang hard
to suffer a hangover US, 1996. < hang heels to surf with your
heels extended backwards over the tail of the surfboard US, 1977.
< hang her alongside awhile before we heist her aboard
(of an idea or plan) to urge someone to think about it before we
do anything CANADA, 1992. < hang it up 1 to insult US, 1989. 2 to
stop talking; to shut up US, 1963. 3 to retire. Or ‘hang them up’ US,
1936
. < hang loose to do little and to do it without angst US, 1955.
< hang on the iron to put snow chains on a truck’s tyres US,
1961. < hang on the leg (used of a prisoner) to associate and
curry favour with prison authorities US, 1992. < hang on the wall
(used of a groupie) to loiter at a rock and roll club in the hopes of
making contact with a musician US, 1969. < hang one on to
punch AUSTRALIA, 1974. < hang paper 1 to pass counterfeit money
US, 1976. 2 to pass cheques with fraudulent intent UK, 1996. < hang
ten

to surf with all the toes of both feet extended over the front
of the board US, 1963. < hang tight to stay put, to stay resolved US,
1947. < hang up your jock to quit or retire US, 1983. < hang
your hat
to live, to reside US, 1969. < hang your own in circus
and carnival usage, to brag. A metaphor derived from the image of
the braggart hanging posters advertising himself US, 1981
hang about verb to loiter, to hesitate, to haunt UK, 1892
319 hand gallop | hang about
hang about! used for demanding a pause in an activity. Always
imperative, sometimes used to indicate that the speaker has
suddenly understood something
UK, 1974
hangar noun in trucking, a garage US, 1976
hangar-flying noun a group conversation among combat pilots,
reliving combat missions
US, 1918
hang around verb to idle, to pass time aimlessly, to socialise US, 1830
hangar queen noun an aircraft that spends an inordinate amount of
time being repaired US, 1943
hangashore; angishore noun a person who does not go out fishing
and thus is regarded as lazy. Originally from the Irish word
aindeiseoir (a wretch), this word was adapted by folk etymology to
apply to the fishing culture of Atlantic Canada
CANADA, 1988
hangcher noun a handkerchief TRISTAN DA CUNHA, 1963
hang-down noun the penis US, 2001
hanged up adjective drug-intoxicated US, 1949
hanger noun 1 a piece of paper currency that has not fallen all the
way through the slot on a casino table where cash is dropped

US,
1980. 2 in pool, a ball that is at rest right at the edge of a pocket US,
1937. 3 a handgun cartridge that fails to detonate immediately after
being struck by the firing pin
US, 1957. 4 a handbag with a strap US,
1950
Hanger Lane noun a nuisance, an annoyance, a frustration, an irri-
tation. Rhyming slang for PAIN, formed from the name of a traffic-
junction on London’s North Circular road, probably coined by a
driver in a jam UK, 1992
hang-gut noun a paunchy stomach BAHAMAS, 1982
hanging adjective 1 of inferior quality UK, 2002. 2 drunk; exhausted UK,
2002
hanging bacon noun the outer labia of the vagina UK, 2002
hanging Johnny noun the penis in a flaccid state US, 1980
Hanging Sam noun General Samuel T. Williams of the US Army.
Williams fought Pancho Villa in Mexico, and then in World War 1,
World War 2, Korea and Vietnam
US, 1972
hang it!; hang it all! used for registering annoyance, irritation or
despair UK, 1703
hangman noun a difficult person NEW ZEALAND, 2002
hangnail noun a slow-moving person, a dawdler, especially a slow
driver. Rhyming slang for ‘snail’, from the characteristics of the
creature
UK, 1998
hang on verb 1 to wait; to wait while using a telephone. Often used
in the imperative UK, 1959. 2 to make a criminal charge against US,
1957
hangout noun a place where people gather to socialise. At times a

negative connotation US, 1892
hang out verb 1 to spend time with someone, usually a friend or
friends US, 1867. 2 to monitor a citizen’s band radio channel US, 1976
hangtime noun time spent waiting for something to happen US, 1991
hang tough! used for expressing support when departing US, 1990
hang up verb 1 when combined with an article symbolic of a trade,
profession or sport, to retire from that field of endeavour. ‘Hang up
your fiddle’, which carries the generalised sense of retiring, is first
recorded in 1833; however the current wide use may well owe its
generation to Western films, particularly the cliché of an aged or
disabled gun-fighter hanging up his guns. Of modern variations
‘Hang up (one’s) tits’ is recorded of a retiring female impersonator
in 1984. In 2003 a brief search of contemporary sources reveals a
hairdresser hanging up his scissors, a judge hanging up the wig
and robe, a Malayan who has hung up his Kalashnikov, a chef who
hangs up his toque and white jacket, and a war correspondent
who has hung up her flak jacket; jockeys hang up their silks,
boxers hang up their gloves, sumo wrestlers hang up their
loincloths, etc
UK, 1833. 2 in a prayer group, to pray last. If ‘to pray
first’ is to
DIAL, then it is only logical that ‘to pray last’ is ‘to hang
up’
US, 1990. < hang up a shingle to go into business for yourself
US, 1997
hangup; hang-up noun 1 an emotional problem, neurosis or inhi-
bition
US, 1952. 2 in foot-propelled scootering, a seizing-up of a
wheel during the performance of a trick UK, 2000
hanhich noun hashish. Probably a misspelling of ‘hashish’ UK, 2003

hank noun < take your hank to masturbate US, 1967
hank book noun a pornographic book or magazine US, 1974
hank freak noun a person obsessed with masturbating US, 1967
Hank Marvin adjective very hungry. Rhyming slang for ‘starving’;
based on the name of popular guitarist Hank Marvin (b.1941)
UK,
1998
hankty adjective suspicious US, 1966
hanky; hankie noun a handkerchief; a tissue (often qualified as a
paper hankie). In the US a childish shortening virtually conven-
tional in the UK
UK, 1895
hanky code; hankie code noun a designation of a person’s sexual
preferences, signalled by the colour of the handkerchief and the
pocket in which it is worn
US, 1991
hanky p ank noun a carnival game in which the customer is allowed
to win small, inexpensive prizes
US, 1985
hankypank adjective (used of a carnival game) inexpensive US, 1950
hanky-panky; hankie-pankie noun 1 trickery, mischief, especially of
a sexual nature
UK, 1841. 2 a boyfriend. Teen slang UK, 2003
Hannibal Lecter noun a ticket inspector. Rhyming slang, formed
from the name of a fictional serial killer who caught the popular
imagination, created in 1981 by author Thomas Harris and
portrayed on film in 1986 by Brian Cox, and, most famously, by
Anthony Hopkins from 1992 UK, 1998
Hanoi Hannah noun a composite character on Radio Hanoi who
broadcast during the Vietnam war with a target audience of US

troops and a goal of lessening troop morale US, 1967
Hanoi Hilton nickname a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp,
formally known as the Hoa Lo Prison (1964–1973). The title of a
1987 film starring Michael Moriarty and Jeffrey Jones as US
prisoners of war trying to survive in the camp
US, 1970
hanyak noun a smokeable methamphetamine UK, 1998
hap noun 1 an event or activity. An abbreviation of ‘happening’;
usually found in questions such as ‘What’s the hap?’ US, 1971. 2 a
bite; a mouthful. Directly from Afrikaans SOUTH AFRICA, 1978
hapas capas noun a writ of habeas corpus US, 1950
ha’penny noun the female genitals. From the small value halfpenny
coin UK, 1984 8see: HALFPENNY DIP, HALFPENNY STAMP
ha’porth noun a small or negligible measure of something (cost,
potency, wit, etc). A colloquial contraction of ‘halfpennyworth’ that
orginally, surely, suggested greater value and less contempt UK, 1976
ha’p’orth; haporth; apeth noun a fool. A contraction of
‘halfpennyworth’ signifying something of little value; gently
contemptuous and usually qualified as ‘daft ha’porth’, ‘silly apeth’,
etc UK, 1974
happen verb to be successful US, 1949
happening noun 1 an unstructured event built around music, drugs
and a strong sense of bonding US, 1959. 2 a party at which there is
much drinking; a booze-up
AUSTRALIA, 1971
happening adjective modern, fashionable, chic. In common with
many words that define the times, ‘happening’ is now deeply
unfashionable, surviving in irony and the vocabularies of those
who were there when it was ‘happening’ US, 1977. < it’s all
happening!

used when more than one thing happens at the
same time; used of a general state of excitement
UK, 1976
happily adverb in computing, operating without awareness of an
important fact US, 1991
happiness noun MDMA, the recreational drug best known as ecstasy
UK, 2002
happy noun a variety of MDMA, the recreational drug best known as
ecstasy
UK, 1996
happy adjective slightly drunk UK, 1770. < are you happy in your
work?
asked, ironically, of someone engaged in dirty or dangerous
hang about! | happy 320
work. Originally military, in the form ‘are you happy in the
Service?’
UK, 1943
-happy suffix mentally unbalanced or obsessed in the manner
denoted by earlier or current circumstances, or impending fate, as
affixed. Originally military, from HAPPY (slightly drunk); thus ‘bomb-
happy’ (nerves shattered by exposure to imminent death or
mutilation), ‘demob-happy’ (obsessed by demobilisation, release
from service) US, 1931
happy as a pig in shit adjective extremely happy UK, 1944
happy as Larry adjective extremely happy. Just exactly who the
proverbially happy Larry was is one of those snippets of infor-
mation lost in time AUSTRALIA, 1905
happy bag noun a holdall in which an armed robber carries the
equipment of his trade
UK, 2002

happy bunny noun a person who is very contented. Childish
imagery, originally business jargon. A contented worker, or team
member. Often with a negative sense: ‘not a happy bunny’
US, 1998
happy camper noun used as a humorous description of a contented
person. Often said with sarcasm or used in the negative
US, 1981
happy cigarette noun a marijuana cigarette US, 1982
happy-clappy adjective filled with spiritual joy, sometimes applied to
Christians but rarely in the conventional Church UK, 1993
happy day noun a mixture of bottled strong ale and draught beer UK:
SCOTLAND
, 1996
happy days noun 1 a type of bet in an illegal numbers game lottery
US, 1957. 2 breadfruit BARBADOS, 1965
happy drug noun MDMA, the recreational drug best known as
ecstasy
UK, 2003
happy dust noun cocaine, morphine or any powdered mind-altering
drug. Imparts a sense of nostalgia, not unlike WACKY BACCY
(marijuana). The term of choice for cocaine in George Gerswhin’s
Porgy and Bess
US, 1922
happy fag noun a marijuana cigarette UK, 2002
happy gas noun nitrous oxide, laughing gas AUSTRALIA, 1986
happy hacking used as a farewell US, 1981
happy happy joy joy used as a humorous, often sarcastic,
celebratory remark. First heard in the Ren and Stimpy cartoon
(1991–1995), and then popularised with a broader audience by
Keith Olberman on ESPN

US, 1997
happy herb noun marijuana UK, 1998
happy hour noun a period of time in the late afternoon when a bar
serves free snacks and drinks at reduced prices
US, 1959
happy hours noun flowers. Rhyming slang UK, 1960
happy little Vegemite noun a happy person, especially a child.
From an advertising jingle for Vegemite™, a yeast-based spread
popular in Australia AUSTRALIA, 1988
happy meal noun a mixture of chemical stimulants and depress-
ants. A Happy Meal is more usually a product of McDonalds™ fast-
food restaurants UK, 2001
happy pie noun the vagina US, 1974
happy pill noun 1 an amphetamine or other central nervous system
stimulant
UK, 1956. 2 a Prozac™ tablet UK, 2001. 3 a tablet of MDMA,
the recreational drug best known as ecstasy UK, 2003
happy powder noun cocaine UK, 1998
happy Sally noun strong, homemade whisky US, 1986
happy shop noun an off-licence (a liquor store) US, 1972
happy slap verb to physically assault a randomly chosen person and
film the incident on a mobile phone
UK, 2005
happy slapper noun a person who, as part of popular youth craze,
violently attacks a randomly chosen individual while the incident
is filmed by an accomplice UK, 2005
happy slapping noun an apparently motiveless violent attack on a
randomly chosen innocent person while the incident is filmed by
an accomplice; or such attacks collectively; or the teenage craze
for such attacks UK, 2005

happy stick noun a marijuana cigarette enhanced with
phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or angel dust
US, 1999
happy trails noun cocaine. From the cowboy song known by those
who came of age in the US in the 1950s and 60s
US, 1993
happy trails used as a farewell. A catchphrase television sign-off
sung on The Roy Rogers Show (NBC, 1951–57). Repeated with
referential humour US, 1951
happy valley noun the cleft between the buttock cheeks US, 1970s
Happy Valley nickname the Vinh Thanh Valley, during the war a
dangerous area northeast of An Khe, South Vietnam
US, 1983
haps noun the latest; something that is popular. Often heard as ‘the
haps’
US, 1961
harami noun a shrewd or cunning person; used as a term of abuse it
may carry the same sense as ‘bastard’. From Urdu haram (that
which is sacred), hence Urdu harami (a rogue). There is anecdotal
evidence that it has been in UK since the 1960s. Current in
Pakistan and Indian street slang, as is the equivalent but more
abusive Urdu term haramzada (a son of wickedness; a
BASTARD)
INDIA
, 2003
harass verb to flirt TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
Harbour City nickname Sydney AUSTRALIA, 1964
harbour light; harbour adjective right. Rhyming slang UK, 1961
hard noun 1 an erection US, 1961. 2 hardcore sexual material US, 1977.
3 an addictive drug NEW ZEALAND, 1982. 4 coins US, 1950

hard adjective 1 of drinks, intoxicating, spiritous, ‘strong’ US, 1789.
2 (used of drugs) powerfully addictive US, 1955. 3 fine, excellent US,
1948. 4 muscular, toned US, 1990. 5 of rock music, serious,
uncompromising, with a strong rhythmic force US, 1960s. 6 of rave
music, relentlessly rhythmic UK, 1998. 7 of pornographic material,
descriptive of anything that is more explicit than society finds gen-
erally acceptable. A flexible standard depending on where you are.
US, 1969. 8 in craps, a point made with a matching pair. A bet on a
‘hard’ number means that the only combination that will win is a
pair. Often used in the phrase ‘the hard way’ US, 1930. 9 (used of
straightened hair) heavily greased
US, 1970. 10 in blackjack, said of a
hand without an ace or with an ace and a value of 12 or higher
US, 1978. 11 (used of a theatre ticket) reserved for a specific seat US,
1973
hard adverb < go hard to engage in gunfire US, 2003
hard ankle noun a working man, especially a trucker US, 1976
hard-arsed; hard-ass; hard-assed adjective uncompromising,
unyielding, tough, stubborn UK, 1903
hard ask noun a difficult challenge NEW ZEALAND, 2000
hard-ass noun a strict, unforgiving, unrelenting person US, 1966
hard-ass verb 1 to endure a difficult situation US, 1967. 2 to treat
harshly US, 1970
hard a t it adjective very busy, especially when engaged on a particu-
lar task UK, 1749
hardback adjective old JAMAICA, 2000
hardball noun 1 competition or conflict with no holds barred US, 1972.
2 crack cocaine UK, 2003
hardballer noun a person who competes or pursues an interest with
an intense focus and little thought as to the consequences US, 1984

hardbelly noun a teenage girl or young woman. Biker (motorcyle)
usage US, 1988
hard bit noun a prison sentence that is especially difficult to serve,
1996
hard-boiled adjective callous, cynical, emotionally uninvolved, tough;
describing the characteristics of macho tough guys in ‘hard-boiled’
pulp fiction. Figurative usage of the solid properties of hard-boiled
eggs, or clothing vigorously boiled in starch; applied by Mark Twain
(1835–1910) to refer to rigid rules of grammar (1886); in the early
1900s it applied to hard or stiff clothing; by 1918 it was being
used to describe a person who stuck rigidly to the rules; from
which the current sense evolved
US, 1904
321 -happy | hard-boiled
hardboot noun a person from Kentucky US, 1923
hard candy noun 1 heroin US, 1970. 2 a person who has been ident-
ified for revenge by a prison gang
US, 1997
hard-case noun a hardened, tough person US, 1836
hard-case adjective eccentric, unconventional NEW ZEALAND, 1971
hard cat noun a well-dressed, popular male US, 1959
hard-charge verb in car racing, to drive aggressively US, 1965
hard chaw noun athugIRELAND, 2003
hard cheddar noun bad luck UK, 1931
hard cheese noun bad luck. Often said in commiseration UK, 1876
hardcore noun 1 amyl nitrite. Perhaps from ‘hardcore’ as a grade of
pornography because of the drug’s reputation as a sexual relaxant
UK, 1996. 2 a regular soldier of the North Vietnamese Army or the
Viet Cong US, 1991
hardcore adjective 1 of pornography, graphic, explicit. The gradations

between SOFTCORE and ‘hardcore’ vary over time and place; in
general, the erect penis, penetration and ejaculation are the
hallmarks of hardcore pornography
US, 1970. 2 extreme US, 1997
hardcore adverb extremely US, 1997
hard cut adjective rough, tough, hard-living CANADA, 1962
hard-doer; hard doer noun a person who struggles valiantly against
difficulties. Literally, a person who ‘does it hard’. A term of
approbation
AUSTRALIA, 1910
hard dresser noun an aggressive, ‘mannish’ lesbian US, 1967
hard-earned noun money, especially that identified as earnings, 1975
hard-ears noun said of a stubborn person TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
har-de-har-har used as a vocalisation mocking laughter US, 1957
hardfist noun a violence-prone, tough person CANADA, 1955
hard graft noun hard work AUSTRALIA, 1873
hard-grafting adjective hard-working AUSTRALIA, 1972
hard guy noun a serious, violent criminal US, 1916
hard hat noun an elite, full-time Viet Cong soldier US, 1965
hard head noun a criminal who uses explosives to break into safes
US, 1949
hard hit noun an act of defecation. Rhyming slang for SHIT, especially
in the phrase ‘go for a hard hit’ UK, 1978
Hard John noun 1 an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI)
US, 1945. 2 a tough, uncompromising person US, 1961
hard knock adjective toughened by life. Having been through the
SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS US, 1977
hard labour noun a neighbour. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
hard leg noun an experienced, cynical prostitute US, 1967

hard line noun crack cocaine UK, 1998
hard lines noun bad luck. Probably of nautical origins. Often said in
commiseration UK, 1824
hard-look verb to stare at aggressively US, 1994
hard mack noun a brutish pimp who relies on force and the threat
of force to control his prostitutes US, 1972
hard man noun 1 a professional thug; a person not afraid of violent
action
US, 1970. 2 an uncompromising politician or businessman UK,
1976
hard money noun cash US, 1972
hard-mouth verb to threaten or disparage TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1960
hard nail noun a hypodermic needle US, 1955
hard-nosed adjective stubborn, uncompromising US, 1927
hard nut noun a dangerous foe; a tough individual; a difficult
challenge. Clipped from ‘a hard nut to crack’ US, 1884
hard nut to crack noun 8see: TOUGH NUT
hard of hearing adjective undisciplined, disobedient TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO
, 1973
hard-on noun 1 the erect penis; an erection US, 1888. 2 a grudge US,
1931
. 3 a stubborn, belligerent person US, 1968. 4 a prized possession;
something to be desired. Derives from the sense as ‘an erection’,
via the idea that inanimate objects can be
SEXY (desirable) UK, 1999.
5 a desire for US, 1971
hard on adjective addicted to BAHAMAS, 1982
hard one noun in necrophile usage, a corpse that has stiffened with
rigor mortis US, 1987

hard pimp noun a pimp who relies on violence and the threat of
violence to control his prostitutes
US, 1973
hard-pushed adjective in difficulties, especially financial UK, 1834
hard rice noun during the Vietnam war, weapons and ammunition
US, 1985
hard rock noun crack cocaine. An elaboration of ROCK UK, 1998
hardshell B aptist noun a member of the Primitive Baptist Church,
or any other rigidly orthodox Baptist US, 1838
hard shells noun powerfully addictive drugs, such as heroin,
morphine and cocaine
US, 1960
hard, soft and wet denotes all that is necessary to operate a
computer
UK, 1998
hard sports noun sadomasochistic sex-play involving defecation,
especially when it is offered as a service in a prostitute’s
advertising UK, 2003
hard spot noun an ambush using tanks or other armour as part of
the ambush US, 1991
hard stuff noun 1 alcoholic drink other than beer or wine AU S TRALIA,
1832. 2 addictive drugs such as heroin or cocaine US, 1950. 3 coins US,
1788
hardtail noun a motorcyle with no rear shock absorbers US, 1992
hard time noun a long prison sentence, whether in absolute terms
or relative to the crime or relative to the prisoner’s ability to
survive US, 1927
hard-timer noun a prisoner serving a long sentence US, 1986
hard up adjective 1 in want of money, impoverished UK, 1818. 2 in
need of something specified

UK, 1840
hardware noun 1 weapons, usually guns US, 1865. 2 ostentatious
jewellery US, 1939. 3 silverware US, 1962. 4 any medal or trophy
awarded in a competition US, 1921
hardware shop noun a homosexual male brothel UK, 1987
hardware store noun a poker game in which players generally bet
based on the value of their hands and do not bluff. An allusion to
the True Value chain of hardware stores in the US US, 1996
hard word noun < put the hard word on someone 1 to ask
someone for sexual intercourse AUSTRALIA, 1936. 2 to make a fervent
request of someone AUSTRALIA, 1918
hard yakka; hard yacker noun hard work AUSTRALIA, 1888
hard yard noun a difficult challenge NEW ZEALAND, 2000
hard yards noun exacting work. Originally a sporting metaphor
AUSTRALIA, 2001
hare and hound noun a round of drinks. Rhyming slang; a variation
of FOX AND HOUND UK, 1992
hare-and-hound race noun a long motorcyle race in the desert US,
1965
haricot bean; haricot noun a male homosexual. Rhyming slang for
QUEEN AUSTRALIA, 1971
Harlem credit card noun a siphon used for stealing petrol from
parked cars US, 1979
Harlem handshake noun a series of hand-to-hand manoeuvres that
combine into an idiosyncratic handshake. Harlem, New York, is a
centre of the black community and figuratively used to emphasise
stereotypical and negative black characteristics US, 2000
Harlem heater noun any improvised source of heat, such as leaving
an oven door open to heat the room. New York police slang
US, 1997

Harlem sunset noun the blood-red line on freshly razor-slashed skin.
Harlem New York, is a centre of the black community and
hardboot | Harlem sunse t 322
figuratively used to emphasise negative black characteristics; here,
combined with an allusion to ‘blood red sunsets’, the suggestion is
that only black people get into razor fights
US, 1940
Harlem taxi noun a large, luxury car painted in an extravagant
colour
US, 1962
Harlem tennis noun thegameofcrapsUS, 1983
Harlem toothpick noun a pocket knife; a switchblade US, 1944
Harley wrench noun a hammer. Humorous biker (motorcyle) usage,
suggesting a low degree of sophistication among motorcyle mech-
anics
US, 2003
harmonic noun Indian tonic water. Rhyming slang UK, 1984
harm reducer noun marijuana. A reference to the claim that
smoking tobacco mixed with marijuana will cause less harm than
unadulterated tobacco UK, 2001
harness noun 1 reinforcement on the outside of a safe US, 1949. 2 a
uniform
US, 1853. 3 the leather clothing worn by some motorcyle
riders and embraced as a fashion statement by others
US, 1993
harness adjective uniformed US, 1903
harness rack noun an old horse CANADA, 1987
Harold Lloyd; harold noun celluloid (as a housebreaking tool, used
for forcing locks). Rhyming slang, formed from the name of the
legendary silent film comedian, 1893–1971 UK, 1959

Harold Macmillan; ‘arold noun a villain. Rhyming slang, formed
from the name of a British prime minister (1957–63) and
statesman, 1894–1986 UK, 1992
Harold Pinter; ‘arold noun a splinter. Rhyming slang, formed from
the name of a playwright (b.1930)
UK, 1992
harolds noun knickers. Probably rhyming slang, from HARRY TAGGS,
shortened to Harry, thus Harold AUSTRALIA, 1971
harp noun 1 a harmonica US, 1887. 2 an Irish-American or an Irish
person US, 1898
harpic adjective mad, crazy, eccentric. A play on ROUND THE BEND
(mad) and branded toilet cleaner Harpic’s advertising slogan
‘cleans round the bend’. It is interesting to note that a cocktail of
blue curacoa, kahlua, vodka and lemonade is named Harpic –
probably not just for the colour. Also used as a nickname UK, 1961
harpist noun a harmonica player. From HARP (a harmonica) UK, 1993
harpoon noun a needle used to inject drugs intravenously, especially
a hollow needle used in an improvised contraption US, 1938
Harris tweed noun amphetamine. Rhyming slang for SPEED UK, 1983
Harry noun heroin. Giving an personal identity and disguise to H
(heroin) US, 1954
Harry-big-button noun any cheap electrical appliance characterised
by unfashionable design, especially large control knobs UK, 2002
harry-carry noun suicide. From Japanese hara-kiri (ritual suicide by
disembowelment) UK, 1996
Harry Freemans noun anything that is free. Royal Navy, from
obsolete ‘drink at freeman’s quay’ (to drink at another’s expense)
UK, 1962
Harry Hill noun a tablet of MDMA, the recreational drug best known
as ecstasy. Rhyming slang for ‘pill’; based on the name of UK

comedian Harry Hill (b.1964)
UK, 2001
Harry Hoof noun a male homosexual. Glasgow rhyming slang for
POOF UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
Harry Huggins noun a fool, an idiot, often with an implication that
the fool is a victim (and a fool to be so). Rhyming slang for
MUGGINS (an idiot) UK, 1992
Harry James noun the nose. A pun on ‘trumpet’, connected to
band leader and trumpet player Harry James (1916–83)
UK, 1958
Harry Lauder noun a prison warder. Rhyming slang, formed from
the name of the Scottish comedian and singer, Sir Harry Lauder,
1870–1950 UK, 1961
Harry Lime noun time. Rhyming slang, formed from the name of
the character played by Orson Welles in the 1950 film The Third
Man UK, 1972
Harry Monk; harry noun semen. Rhyming slang for SPUNK; gener-
ally reduced
UK, 1992
Harry Selby noun used in a theatre programme as a fictitious name
for an actor. Less common than
GEORGE SPELVIN, but serving the
same purpose
US, 1973
Harry Tagg noun bag. Rhyming slang; theatrical. Current in 1960 UK,
1960
Harry Taggs; harolds noun trousers. Rhyming slang for ‘bags’
(trousers)
UK, 1992
Harry Tate noun 1 eight pounds (£8). Rhyming slang, formed from

the stage name of musical hall performer Ronald Hutchinson,
1872–1940
UK, 1992. 2 a plate. Rhyming slang UK, 1992. 3 afirst
officer in the Merchant Navy. Rhyming slang for ‘mate’
UK, 1961. 4 a
confusion; an attack of nerves; an emotional state. Rhyming slang
for ‘state’ UK, 1932
Harry Tate adjective late. Rhyming slang, formed from the stage
name of musical hall performer Ronald Hutchinson, 1872–1940
UK, 1960
Harry Tates noun branded cigarettes, Player’s ‘Weights’. Rhyming
slang UK, 1974
Harry Wragg; Harry Rag; harry noun a cigarette. Rhyming slang
for
FAG (a cigarette), formed on the name of jockey Harry Wragg,
1902–85 UK, 1960
Harry X-ers with Harry preceding and -ers suffixed, a personified
variation of an adjective or adverb. Mainly nautical, in applications
such as ‘Harry Nuders’ (naked)
UK, 1925
harsh noun marijuana, hashish. Probably a play on the
pronunciation of HASH (hashish) but may well refer to the quality
UK, 2003
harsh verb to criticise or disparage US, 1988. < harsh a mellow to
ruin a calm situation
US, 1997
harsh adjective 1 disagreeable, forbidding, severe. Conventional
English rendered slang by the young US, 1984. 2 in motor racing,
bumpy and rough US, 1980
Hart, Schaffner and Marx noun in poker, three jacks. An allusion

to a men’s clothing manufacturer US, 1988
harum-scarum adjective reckless, careless UK, 1751
harum-scarum adverb recklessly, wildly UK, 1691
harvest moon; harvest noun a black person. Rhyming slang for
COON UK, 1992
Harvey Nichol noun a predicament. Rhyming slang for PICKLE,
formed from the name of London department store Harvey
Nichols
UK, 1932
Harvey Nichols noun pickles, savoury condiments. Rhyming slang,
formed from the name of a London department store UK, 1960
Harvey Nicks; Harvey Nic’s nickname Harvey Nichols, a
fashionable department store UK, 1991
Harvey Smith noun a v-sign as an insulting gesture. Following an
incident on 15th August 1971 when show-jumper Harvey Smith
used the gesture at the British Jumping Derby and as a result was
disqualified (a decision subsequently overturned); his spontaneous
action swiftly became part of UK folklore
UK, 1979
Harvey Wallbanger noun any unsafe, reckless and/or drunk driver
US, 1976
has noun hashish. An abbreviated variation of HASH UK, 1998
has-been noun a person whose best days and greatest achievements
are in the past UK, 1606
has beens noun green vegetables, especially cabbage. Rhyming slang
for
GREENS UK, 1984
hasbian noun a former lesbian; a woman who took lesbian lovers in
college, but who reverted to heterosexuality after graduation from
college US, 1995

hash noun 1 hashish (cannabis resin or pollen). Variant spellings
include ‘hashi’, ‘hashis’ and ‘haschi’. Derived from the Arabic word
for ‘herb’ or ‘grass’, as though it were the herb ‘par excellence’
(Sadie Plant, ‘Writing On Drugs’, 1999) US, 1948. 2 a number sign (#)
323 Harlem taxi | hash
on a computer keyboard US, 1991. < make a hash to spoil, to
make a mess of something
UK, 1833
hash verb to serve alcoholic drink that is not the brand claimed US,
1979
hash and trash noun background noise during a citizens’ band
radio transmission US, 1976
Hashbury nickname the Haight-Ashbury neigbourhood of San
Francisco. A blending of the two street names and an allusion to
the drug-using propensities of the area’s residents
US, 1967
hashcake noun a confection that has marijuana or hashish as a
major ingredient UK, 2000
hash cannon noun a device for smoking marijuana or hashish, used
to force smoke deep into the lungs
US, 1970
hasher noun a waitress in an inexpensive restaurant US, 1908
hash house noun a restaurant that serves inexpensive, simply
prepared food, catering to working men US, 1868
hash joint noun a hash house US, 1895
hash out verb to discuss until an issue is resolved US, 1995
hashover noun a general feeling of lethargy or malaise following
marijuana use. A play on ‘hangover’ and
HASH (marijuana) UK, 1996
hash-puppy noun a dog trained to sniff-out marijuana. A play on

Hush Puppies™, US branded footware, introduced in 1958
AUSTRALIA, 1970
hash-slinger noun a waitress or cook US, 1868
hassle noun a problem, trouble, harassment US, 1946
hassle verb 1 to harass, annoy US, 1959. 2 to engage in mock plane-to-
plane aerial combat US, 1979
hasta la bye-bye goodbye. Intentionally butchered Spanish US, 1990
hasta la vista, baby! see you later! Popularised by Tone Loc in his
1989 rap hit ‘Wild Thing’
US, 1990
hasta lumbago used as a humorous farewell. An intentional
corruption of the Spanish hasta luego (until later) US, 1977
hat noun 1 in drag racing, a crash helmet US, 1968. 2 acondomUS, 1992.
3 a woman US, 1963. 4 on the railways, an incompetent worker US, 1977.
5 a US Marines drill instructor US, 1991. 6 twenty-five dollars US, 1973.
7 anything bought with a bribe, used as code for a bribe US, 1973.
8 the up-arrow or caret key (^) on a computer keyboard US, 1991 . 9 a
dose of LSD US, 1994. 10 in pinball, a piece of plastic that indicates a
value when lit. Conventionally known as a ‘playfield insert’ US, 1977.
< get hat to leave US, 1966. < in the hat marked for murder by a
prison gang US, 2003. < throw your hat in first to test out a situ-
ation before taking part AUSTRALIA, 1953. < wear more than one
hat; wear several hats to simultaneously hold more than one
post, or position of responsibility US, 1924
hat and coat noun a boat, especially a refrigerated cargo ship.
Rhyming slang
UK, 1992
hat and feather; hatton noun weather. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
hat and scarf noun a bath. Rhyming slang, with Cockney
pronunciation. UK, 1992

hatch noun 1 the vagina US, 1967. 2 the mouth US, 1968
hatch verb < hatch it to forget about something US, 1968
hatchery noun a psychiatric ward or mental institution US, 1994
hatchet job noun an unwarranted and harshly critical attack on
someone’s or something’s reputation UK, 1944
hatchet man noun 1 a person who is called upon to perform
distasteful tasks. From the literal image of a paid assassin armed
with a hatchet; sometimes abbreviated to a simple ‘hatchet’ US,
1937. 2 a physically aggressive athlete, especially one who is tasked
with roughing up an opponent US, 1971
hatchintan noun a gypsy site. English gypsy use, from Romany
hatsh (stop, rest)
UK, 2000
hatch, match and dispatch verb (of a local preacher) to carry a
person through life’s big events CANADA, 1992
hatch, match and dispatch; hatches, matches, dispatches;
hatched, matched, dispatched
noun newspaper
announcements of births, marriages and deaths. A neat sum-
mation of life, originally applied by journalists to such newspaper
columns; later recognised by church authorities as the times when
most people are prepared to be part of a service or congregation
UK, 1937
hate verb used in the phrase ‘hate to say’ as a substitute for ‘have’
US, 2003. < hate someone’s guts to hate someone intensely UK,
1918
hated adjective 1 bad, unpleasant US, 1989. 2 (used of a girl) beautiful
beyond imagination. Usually as ‘hated BETTY’ US, 1988
hater noun a jealous or envious person US, 2001
hater juice noun derogatory speech US, 2003

hating life adjective depressed US, 1989
hatless tap dance noun (among Canadian Forces personnel) the
march into the Commanding Officer’s office to face a charge
CANADA, 1995
hat out; hat up verb to leave US, 1970
hats noun LSD UK, 1998
hats off congratulations. An imperative variation of ‘take your hat
off to’; when hats were everyday wear the action would echo the
words or make their use unnecessary UK, 1929
hatstand adjective mad, crazy. From the cartoon character ‘Roger
Irrelevant: he’s completely hatstand’ in the comic Viz UK, 2003
hatter noun 1 a solitary worker in a rural or remote area, especially
one who suffers from social phobia. Originally applied to miners
who worked their claims without a partner. Possibly from the
phrase ‘your hat covers your family’ (you are alone in the world),
though no doubt the concept of the ‘mad hatter’ must have had
an influence. Now only historical
AUSTRALIA, 1853. 2 a homosexual
man. From
BROWN-HATTER (a gay man) UK, 1984
Hattie Jacques; Hatti es noun delirium tremens, the shakes.
Rhyming slang, based on the name of actress and comedienne
Hattie Jacques (1924–80) UK, 2002
hat trick noun three consecutive successes, usually in a sporting
context; three linked events. Originally and conventionally a
cricketing term, recorded to mark the bowling of three wickets
with consecutive balls; achieving this phenomenal feat entitled the
sportsman to a new hat from his club, hence ‘hat-trick’.
Subsequently adopted by other sports for lesser feats of three,
such as three goals scored in a football match (which may well not

be rewarded with a hat)
UK, 1909
hatty adjective used to describe the qualities of an elaborate hat UK,
1959
hat up! used for urging departure US, 1971
haul noun the proceeds of a crime or business operation US, 1950
haul verb < haul ass to go swiftly US, 1918. < haul butt to move
quickly US, 1968. < haul coal (used of a white person) to have sex
with a black person US, 1972. < haul someone over the coals to
give a stern reprimand to someone UK, 1795. < haul the mail 1 in
trucking, to drive faster to make up for lost time
US, 1971. 2 in hot
rodding and drag racing, to perform at the highest potential US, 1993
hauler noun 1 in the usage of youthful model road racers (slot car
racers), a fast model road car US, 1997. 2 a very fast drag racing car
US, 1960s to 70s
haurangi adjective drunk NEW ZEALAND, 1960
have verb 1 to have sex with someone UK, 1594. 2 to believe
something, to accept UK, 2001. 3 to outwit, to cheat, to deceive UK,
1805. < have a no I don’t have. Korean war usage from Japanese
pidgin; a supply officer’s perfect answer to a requisition for
supplies not in stock
US, 1951. < have a pop at to attack,
especially verbally. A variation of ‘have a pop at’ (to try) adopting a
different sense of ‘pop’ (to hit)
UK, 2001. < have got ‘em; have
got ‘em bad
to have the delirium tremens, to have a fit of nerves
or depression or ‘the blues’ UK, 1893. < have got it bad; have
got it badly

to have fallen in love or to be infatuated UK, 1911.
< have had it 1 to be faced with an unavoidable prospect of
defeat or ruin; to be defeated, to be ruined; to be dead or to have
been killed UK, 1941. 2 to have had more than enough of
hash | have 324
something; to be sick and tired of something UK, 1984. < have
had it up to here
to have had more than enough of; to be sick
and tired of. An elaboration of HAVE HAD IT; here accompanied with
a gesture that indicates the neck or the top of the head
UK, 1984.
< have it to fight UK, 1999. < have it away 1 to escape from
imprisonment or arrest; to get away
UK, 1958. 2 to steal UK, 1984.
< have it in for to bear a grudge against; to wish to harm UK,
1840s
. < have it made; have got it made to be on the point of
succeeding; to be faced with no (more) obstacles; to have it easy
US, 1955. < have it off 1 to have sex UK, 1937. 2 to succeed in a
criminal enterprise UK, 1936. < have it on your dancers to
escape; to run away. An elaboration of
HAVE IT ON YOUR TOES. UK,
1984. < have it on your toes; have it away on your toes to
escape; to run away UK, 1958. < have legs of an idea, to have the
ability to progress. Media jargon that has seeped into wider usage
UK, 1999. < have one in the departur e lounge to feel the
urgent need to defecate UK, 2002. < have yourself to indulge
yourself or provide yourself with something US, 1929
have-a-go adjective describes a person who bravely attempts to
prevent a crime; intrepid

UK, 1971
have a good one goodbye. Slightly cooler than urging someone to
‘have a good day’
US, 1984
have an apple! get lost, forget it, calm down CANADA, 1959
have been! I’ll see you later! Youth usage US, 1949
have off verb 1 to steal from UK, 1994. 2 to use without respect. A vari-
ation of the previous sense UK, 1999. 3 to defeat, to overthrow, to
supplant UK, 2001
have on verb to take up a challenge; to accept an invitation to fight
or compete AUSTRALIA, 1941
have you been? have you used the lavatory? Euphemistic UK, 1969
have you ever wanted a bindi? used with humour to
accompany a threatened knuckle blow to a companion’s forehead.
A catchphrase that offers a red mark in the centre of the forehead
UK, 2003
Hawaiian noun 1 very potent marijuana cultivated in Hawaii US, 2001.
2 a marijuana cigarette UK, 2003
Hawaiian black noun a dark leafed marijuana from Hawaii, 2003
Hawaiian disease noun sexual abstinence due to an absence of
women. An allusion to the mythical illness ‘lakanuki’ (lack of sex)
US, 1987
Hawaiian head noun a strain of marijuana, known elsewhere as
New Zealand green, Thai Buddha or Tasmanian tiger US, 2002
Hawaiian homegr own hay noun marijuana grown in Hawaii UK,
2003
Hawaiian number noun any elaborate production number in a
show or movie US, 1973
Hawaiian sunshine noun LSD US, 1982
haw-eater noun an Ontarian from Manitoulin Island CANADA, 1998

hawg noun a large motorcyle, especially a Harley-Davidson US, 1984
hawk noun 1 LSD. May be used with ‘the’ US, 1966. 2 a lookout US, 1956.
3 any cold night wind, especially a strong wind that blows off Lake
Michigan across Chicago, Illinois. Often with ‘the’ US, 1946
Hawk nickname Coleman Hawkins, a leading jazz saxophonist of the
1920s and 1930s US, 1949
hawk verb 1 to expectorate sputum US, 1989. 2 to watch closely, to
check out US, 1886. 3 to make an aggressive romantic approach US,
1993. < hawk the fork (of a woman) to work as a prostitute
AUSTRALIA, 1978. < hawk your mutton to work as a prostitute UK,
1937
hawker noun expectorated sputum US, 1974
Hawkesbury Rivers noun the shivers. From the name of a river in
New South Wales AUSTRALIA, 1941
hawk-eye verb to watch closely US, 1979
hawkins noun cold weather. An embellishment and personification
of HAWK US, 1934
hawkshaw noun a detective. From the name of a detective in the
1863 play The Ticket of Leave Man by Tom Taylor, and later and
more relevantly from the comic strip Hawkshaw the Detective,
drawn by Gus Mager (1913–22, 1931–48). In UK West Indian use
US, 1888
hawkshaw verb to snoop, to inquire US, 1946
haw maws noun the testicles. Glasgow rhyming slang for BAWS
(BALLS)
, from a cry to attract your mother’s attention UK: SCOTLAND,
1988
hay noun 1 a bed, either in the context of sleep or of sex US, 1903.
2 marijuana. A play on GRASS US, 1934. 3 money AUSTRALIA, 1939
hayburner noun a horse, especially a poor-performing racehorse US,

1904
hay butt noun a marijuana cigarette US, 1942
hayed up adjective marijuana-intoxicated US, 1952
hay head noun a marijuana user US, 1942
haymaker noun 1 a powerful fist blow to the head US, 1902. 2 in
cricket, a batsman’s powerful but reckless shot UK, 1954
haymaking verb in cricket, powerful but reckless batting UK, 1986
hayo noun cocaine. From a Caribbean name for the coca plant US,
1984
hayron noun heroin. Possibly a deliberately perverse pronunciation.
UK, 2003
hayseed noun a rustic or country yokel. Strongly suggests a high
degree of unsophistication US, 1851
hay shaker noun afarmerUS, 1924
haystack noun the back, the rear. Rhyming slang. ‘Going round the
haystack’ is noted as a possible euphemism for paying a visit to a
toilet
UK, 1960
hay wagon noun a brakevan (caboose) US, 1977
haywire adjective out of control; crazy; in wild disorder; chaotic. The
image of wire on a bale of hay that flails wildly when cut US, 1920
haze noun 1 LSD. A shortened form of PURPLE HAZE US, 1994. 2 a var-
iety of marijuana, 2002
haze verb to bully, insult and ridicule a homosexual. A specialised
nuance of the conventional sense (to punish, to bully)
UK, 1977
hazed adjective drug-intoxicated US, 2001
Hazel noun heroin. Abbreviated WITCH HAZEL (heroin), and sub-
sequently disguised as ‘Aunt Hazel’ US, 1949
haz-mat noun hazardous material US, 1983

HBI noun house breaking implements. Initialism UK, 1950
Hbombnoun heroin mixed with MDMA, the recreational drug best
known as ecstasy. Extended from H (heroin), playing on the
devastating power of a nuclear weapon UK, 2002
Hcapnoun a capsule of heroin US, 1990
he; him noun the penis. A derivation immemorial UK, 1970
head noun 1 a member of the counterculture, usually involving
drugs
US, 1966. 2 a habitual user of drugs. In the Vietnam war, the
term differentiated between a person who smoked marijuana and
a JUICER who abused alcohol US, 1953. 3 a state of drug intoxication
US, 1952. 4 enough marijuana to fashion a single cigarette UK, 1996.
5 a fan of hip-hop music US, 2003. 6 a respected graffiti artist US, 1997.
7 a familiarising term used to address both sexes, but more gener-
ally male. Head can also be used to designate certain groups, for
example, a ‘D4 [Dublin 4] head’ is a post southside person, not
necessarily living in the D4 postcode
IRELAND, 1997. 8 oral sex US, 1941.
9 the penis TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003. 10 a talking head. With this
shortened form, a good expert guest on a television or radio show
becomes ‘good head’ US, 2001. 11 deception TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,
1993. 12 a crime victim US, 1987. 13 a toilet US, 1942. 14 music played
without a musical score US, 1946. 15 a railway worker US, 1990. < bite
someone’s head off; snap someone’s head off to attack
verbally, especially as a disproportionate response UK, 1984. < do it
standing on your head; do on your head
to achieve with ease
UK, 1896. < do your head in to emotionally overload, confuse and
make stressed UK, 1982. < get your head down; get your head
325 have-a-go | head

down to it to plead guilty. From bending the head in unspoken
affirmative
AUSTRALIA, 1975. < give head to perform oral sex US,
1956. < have a head like a sieve to be very forgetful, 1984.
< have your head screwed; have your head screwed on
right; have your head screwed on the right way
to be
shrewd and businesslike, to have a practical intelligence
UK, 1821.
< have your head up your ass stupid, unaware, uninformed
US, 1944. < need to have your head read to have ridiculous
ideas. That is ‘you need to see a psychiatrist’ AUSTRALIA, 1938. < off
your head
in a state of mental confusion; drug-intoxicated. The
latter meaning dates from the 1960s and the distinction between
the two senses may be blurred
UK, 1999. < on your head in
motor racing, flipped (of a race car) US, 1980. < out of your head
in a state of drug or drink intoxication. When combined with a
mental or emotional state, the sense varies: ‘with grief’, ‘with
worry’, etc UK, 1996. < pull your head in to mind one’s own
business AUSTRALIA, 1944. < put the head on; stick the head on
to head-butt an opponent’s face UK: SCOTLAND, 1985. < you need
your head examined; you want your head examining a
catchphrase addressed to someone who has said or done
something stupid. Originally ‘you want your head read’ but it
adapted as fashion and technique moved from phrenology to
psychiatry US, 1942. < you’d forget your head if it wasn’t
screwed on
a catchphrase addressed to (or, in the third person,

of) an absent-minded person. Variations are mainly concerned
with the method of fixing: ‘if it wasn’t attached’, ‘…tied on’,
‘…stuck on’, ‘…jammed on’, etc
UK, 1979
head verb 1 to leave US, 2003. 2 to carry (something) on your head
BARBADOS, 1965
-head suffix a habitual user of the indicated substance; hence an
enthusiast, a fan US, 1953
headache noun 1 your spouse US, 1933. 2 a journalist. Gulf war usage
US, 1991
headache! used as a warning in various industries that an object
has been accidentally dropped from a height and that those
working below should immediately take care
US, 1944
headache bar noun a steel bar welded onto a bulldozer or other
piece of heavy equipment to protect the operator from branches
or other sources of potential head injury US, 1990
headache Mary noun low grade marijuana US, 1979
headache rack noun the grill at the rear of a truck cab designed to
protect the driver and any passengers from injury if the load
should shift forward due to a sudden stop US, 1969
headache stick noun a police nightstick US, 1919
head-and-a-half noun an intellectual person AUSTRALIA, 1987
head artist noun a person skilled at giving oral sex US, 1979
headbang noun a meeting intended to generate creative and
innovative solutions. Office jargon UK, 2005
head-bang verb to jerk your head up and down to add to the
enjoyment of fast music. Collected from fans of heavy metal
music by Seamus O’Reilly, January 1995 US, 1995
headbanger noun 1 a violent psychotic UK, 1983. 2 a devotee of heavy

metal music US, 1979. 3 a prisoner who bangs his head against walls,
doors, etc UK, 1996
headbin noun a crazy, unstable person IRELAND, 2001
head case noun an emotionally troubled or mentally disturbed
person UK, 1966
head cheese noun prepuce smegma in a male US, 1941
head chick noun the dominant and favoured prostitute among a
group of prostitutes working for a pimp US, 1957
head cook and bottle-washer noun a person who does all the
work. Humorous. Originally ‘bottle-washer’ carried the same
meaning with or without the head cook’s help. The British adap-
tation of the earlier US
CHIEF COOK AND BOT TLE WASHER UK, 1876
head cunt noun the mouth (as an object of sexual penetration) US,
1996
head dab noun in mountain biking, a face-first fall US, 1992
head down and arse up working busily AUSTRALIA, 1945
head drugs noun amphetamines UK, 1998
head ’em verb 1 to take part in the gambling game two-up AUSTRALIA,
1902
. 2 in the game two-up, to throw a pair of heads AUSTRALIA, 1925
header noun 1 a head-first dive UK, 1849. 2 oral sex. An embellishment
ofthemorecommon
HEAD US, 1976. 3 in hot rodding, a type of
exhaust manifold that improves engine performance
US, 1948
head faggot noun a male homosexual with an appetite for
performing oral sex
US, 1996
head-faking adjective stimulating, exciting UK, 1983

headfit noun an uncontrolled outburst of temper UK, 2000
head fuck noun 1 a state of mental confusion UK, 1996. 2 something
that deliberately confuses or misleads UK, 2002
headfuck adjective confusing, misleading, especially when
deliberately so UK, 2001
head game noun a psychological ploy US, 1979
head gask et noun a condom. Conventionally, ‘a mechanical seal’,
with a further pun on HEAD (an act of oral sex) US, 1964
head gee noun a prison warden US, 1976
head-hunt verb in boxing, to try to hit the opponent in the head US,
1960
headhunter noun 1 a person who recruits others for specific jobs
with specific firms, especially professionals and executives US, 1960.
2 a psychiatrist US, 1972. 3 an oral sex enthusiast US, 1961. 4 a homo-
sexual male
US, 1990. 5 a police officer assigned to investigate
complaints of misconduct by other police
US, 1965. 6 a paid killer US,
1982
. 7 a female who trades sex for money or drugs US, 1995
head job noun an act of oral sex US, 1963
head-job verb to shoot in the head UK, 1993
head jockey noun a practitioner of oral sex on a woman US, 1971
headless chicken noun used as the object of comparison for
something or someone acting without rhyme or reason AUSTRALIA,
1957
headlights noun 1 the female breasts US, 1970. 2 the female nipples
when obviously erect although masked by clothing. A more
narrowly focused meaning from the previous sense CANADA, 2003.
3 large jewels, especially diamonds US, 1899. 4 LSD US, 1994

head like an unplayable lie noun an ugly person AUSTRALIA, 1995
head like a robber’s dog noun an unattractive person AUSTRALIA, 1971
head motherfucker in charge noun the leader of an enterprise US,
2002
head nigger in charge noun the leader of an enterprise US, 1978
head on adverb in gambling games such as twenty-one, playing
directly against the dealer without other players US, 1963
head over heels adjective deeply, completely (especially in
descriptions of love). By ellipsis from the cliché ‘fall head over
heels in love’ UK, 2003
head over turkey adverb upside down; head over heels AUSTRALIA,
1915
head phones noun a stethoscope US, 1982
head plant noun to fall face first while snowboarding US, 1993
headquarters puke noun a member of the military assigned to the
rear echelon staff. Gulf war usage
US, 1992
head rag noun a bandana or piece of cloth worn with straightened
or processed hair
US, 1973
heads and heels noun a youthful, sexually inexperienced male who
is the object of an older homosexual’s desire. The suggestion is
that you have to lift the inexperienced boy by his head and heels
to get him into position for sex US, 1979
heads down adjective in computing, so focused on a task as to be
ignorant of all else US, 1991
head serang; head sherang noun the person in charge. From
Anglo-Indian serang (a captain of a native Indian vessel), from
Persian
AUSTRALIA, 1918

head shed noun a military headquarters. Vietnam war usage US, 1963
head | head shed 326
head shop noun a shop that retails drug paraphernalia, incense,
posters, lights, and other products and services associated with
drug use
US, 1967
headshrinker noun a pyschiatrist or other therapist US, 1950
head shrinking noun the practice of psychiatry US, 1964
heads I win, tails you lose however a situation is resolved I
cannot lose. Mocking the principle that a toss of a coin normally
offers a choice of winner
UK, 1832
heads-up adjective 1 clever, alert. From the earlier sense as ‘wide-
awake’
US, 1934. 2 in motor racing, said of a competition with no
handicap US, 1993
heads-up adverb (of a game of pool) with no handicaps in effect US,
1993
head-the-ball noun acrazypersonUK, 2000
head time noun an opportunity to think UK, 1998
head-up adjective straightforward, direct US, 2001
heal verb < heal with steal to perform surgery US, 1994
healthy adjective 1 (used of a girl) well built US, 1970. 2 large, excellent
UK, 1937
heap noun 1 a car, especially an old and run-down car US, 1921. 2 a
slovenly woman, usually preceded by an adjective. Originally
dialect UK, 1806. 3 a large number, a great deal UK, 1661
heap adjective very. A crude borrowing of the speech of native
American Indians as portrayed by pulp fiction and film
screenwriters

US, 1958
heap of coke; heap noun a man. Rhyming slang for BLOKE UK, 1851
heap of shit noun a mechanical item that is old, unreliable or
broken UK, 2000
heaps noun < give someone heaps to chastise, denigrate or
attack someone unrestrainedly AUSTRALIA, 1978
hear verb to understand US, 1973
hearse noun a brakevan (caboose) US, 1930
heart noun 1 physical courage, especially as displayed in the
commission of a crime US, 1937. 2 an amphetamine capsule,
especially dextroamphetamine sulphate (trade name Dexedrine™).
From the shape of the tablet
US, 1965. < my heart bleeds for
you; my heart bleeds
faux-sympathy, used ironically for
expressing bitterness or jealousy US, 1968. < put the heart
crossways
to shock IRELAND, 1995
heartbeat noun 1 any of several signals produced by a computer or
software
US, 1991. 2 a short measure of time US, 1985
Heartbreak Hill nickname a challenging hill at approximately mile
20 of the Boston Marathon US, 1998
heartburn palace noun aroadsiderestaurantthatfeaturesgreasy
food US, 1971
heart check noun a test of courage US, 1995
heart check! I defy you!; I dare you!; I challenge you! US, 2001
heartface noun a form of address used by some homosexual men
UK, 1968
heart scald noun a troublesome individual IRELAND, 1998

hearts of oak; hearts adjective penniless. Rhyming slang for BROKE
UK
, 1934
heart starter noun an alcoholic drink taken upon waking AUSTRALIA,
1975
heartthrob noun a very attractive man US, 1926
heat noun 1 pressure, stress US, 1929. 2 the police US, 1931. 3 intense
police interest or pressure following a crime
US, 1928. 4 afirearmUS,
1926. 5 crowd or audience reaction. An entertainment industry
term embraced by professional wrestling US, 1958. 6 popularity,
audience appeal US, late 1970s. 7 in roller derby, a fight, be it scripted
or spontaneous, staged or real US, 1999. 8 in pinball, the part of the
pinball machine that rises as a panel in the front of the machine.
Conventionally known as the ‘lightbox’ US, 1977. 9 the ultimate, the
best
US, 1985. 10 a dildo US, 1999. < on heat of a woman, sexually
aroused. Correctly used of animals
UK, 1937. < take the heat to
sunbathe
US, 1968. < take the heat off; take heat off to relieve
the pressure on someone
UK, 1979
heated hell noun the worst of the worst US, 1945
heater noun 1 a revolver. The term smacks of gangster films US, 1926.
2 a linear amplifier for a citizens’ band radio US, 1976. 3 agood-
looking boy
US, 1993. 4 an excellent thing US, 2003. 5 in poker, a
period of good luck for one player
UK, 2003. 6 a large cigar US, 1918.

7 a cigarette US, 1993. < take a heater to defecate US, 2001
heater and cooler noun a shot of whisky and a glass of beer US, 1982
heating food noun any food thought to enhance sexual strength
and passion. A euphemism of social and spiritual significance.
Those seeking a godly and contemplative life (and, according to
custom, all women, especially widows) should stick to ‘cooling
foods’
INDIA, 2003
heat magnet noun anything that draws the attention of the auth-
orities. Based on
HEAT (the police) CANADA, 2002
heat station noun a police station. From HEAT (the police) US, 1963
heaty adjective under police surveillance or the subject of police
interest US, 1967
heave noun an ejection, a dismissal. Used in the construction ‘give
someone (or something) the heave’
UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
heave verb to vomit US, 1832
heave-ho noun an ejection, a dismissal US, 1932
heaven noun 1 seven or eleven. Rhyming slang, used by dice
gamblers UK, 1961. 2 cocaine UK, 2002. 3 heroin UK, 2003. 4 a billboard
in the language of graffiti artists US, 2002
heaven and hell; heaven verb to give off a bad smell. Rhyming
slang
UK, 1992
heaven dust; heavenly dust; heaven flour noun any powdered
drug; cocaine; heroin. Perhaps a positive alternative to HELL DUST
US
, 1933
heavenly blue; heavenly sunshine noun LSD US, 1977

heavenly blues noun morning glory seeds as a psychoactive agent
US, 1982
heaven on a stick noun a very good thing US, 1990
heavens above noun love UK, 1961
heaven sent noun MDMA, the recreational drug best known as
ecstasy
UK, 1996
heavens to Betsy! used as a register of shock, surprise, etc. Charles
Earle Funk researched and failed to discover the etymology of this
phrase for Heavens to Betsy!, 1955; he believed that the phrase is
certainly mid-C19 but was unable to discover its usage before 1940
US, 1940
heavens to Murgatroyd! used as a register of shock, surprise, etc.
A variation of HEAVENS TO BETSY!; popularised by Hanna Barbera’s
animated lion Snagglepuss, from 1959; also credited to US
comedian Red Skelton, 1913–97. The identity of Murgatroyd is a
mystery
US, 1959
heaves and squirts noun symptoms of heroin withdrawal. A rather
graphic way of describing vomiting and diarrhoea US, 1973
heavies noun large waves. Always in the plural US, 1961. < the
heavies
serious newspapers, as opposed to the tabloid press UK,
1950
heaviosity noun a quality of some (drug-inspired) heavy rock music
US, 1981
heavy noun 1 an experienced criminal who relies on violence and
force
US, 1930. 2 armed robbery; an armed robber US, 1950. 3 sexually
aroused, especially if aggressively so. A sense used by prostitutes

UK, 1980. 4 a physically intimidating prison officer brought in to deal
with rioting prisoners UK, 1996. 5 a lesbian prison officer UK, 1996. 6 in
the television and film industries, an antagonist US, 1926. 7 an
officer. Vietnam war coinage US, 1976. 8 an important person US,
1925. 9 heroin US, 1971. 10 a potent dose or a potent drug or both US,
1988. 11 medium gravity beer. Not to be confused with WEE HEAVY (a
barley wine)
UK: SCOTLAND, 1985. 12 a large aircraft AUSTRALIA, 1962.
13 an aircraft carrier US, 1959
327 head shop | heavy
heavy verb 1 to threaten with violence; to menace UK, 1998. 2 to
harass, threaten or victimise someone; to coerce someone
threateningly
AUSTRALIA, 1974
heavy adjective 1 very serious, very intense US, 1963. 2 wonderful,
excellent
US, 1972. 3 (of drugs) addictive US, 1959. 4 violent, inclined to
use violence US, 1902. < get heavy to study US, 1955
heavy! used for expressing approval UK, 2003
heavy A noun an assistant drill instructor, US Marine Corps US, 1987
heavy Chevy noun a Chevrolet with a big block engine US, 1992
heavy closer noun in a swindle, a person who makes the final deal
with the victim US, 1986
heavy cream noun a hefty, large-breasted woman US, 1960
heavy-duty adjective serious, intense US, 1935
heavy-fisted adjective said of a gambling house operative who takes
more than the appropriate share of the winnings of a poker game
for the house share
US, 1951
heavy-footed adjective pregnant UK: NORTHERN IRELAND, 1996

heavy hammer noun any powerful pain medication US, 1994
heavy handbag noun a rich (homosexual) boyfriend. From HANDBAG
(money); recorded in use in contemporary gay society UK, 2003
heavy-handed adjective used of a person who pours alcoholic drinks
too generously, or mixes alcoholic drinks at too great a strength.
From the conventional sense (clumsy)
UK, 1971
heavy hitter noun a person with a deserved reputation for violence.
A baseball metaphor US, 1970
heavy lifter noun a dangerous, tough person US, 2001
heavy manners noun any form of authoritarian control or discipline
experienced by black individuals or communities UK, 1994
heavy metal; HM; metal noun a music genre, characterised by
loud amplification, the primacy of electric guitars and simple,
powerful – if occasionally lumbering – rhythmic patterns. The
origin may be in military and munitions terminology but the
popular and probable etymology is as follows: ‘The term heavy
metal was originally coined by Beat novelist William Burroughs in
his Naked Lunch, reintroduced into the pop vocabulary by
Steppenwolf in their hit "Born to Be Wild" ("heavy metal thunder")
and subsequently redefined by rock critic Lester Bangs in the
heavy metal fan magazine Creem.’ (Rolling Stone Encyclopaedia of
Rock & Roll, 1983). In fact, William Burroughs wrote of Uranium
Willie, the Heavy Metal Kid, in Nova Express, 1946, 13 years before
Naked Lunch was published. Lester Bangs was writing about the
Yardbirds. In later use ‘metal’ takes over as the preferred abbrevi-
ation, creating a subtle differentiation understood by fans of heavy
music
US, 1999
heavy metaller noun a musician or fan of heavy metal music US,

1989
heavy mob noun 1 a criminal gang that relies on violence; a gang
involved in large scale crimes UK, 1944. 2 the Metropolitan Police
Flying Squad UK, 1999. 3 physically intimidating prison officers
brought in to deal with rioting prisoners UK, 1996
heavy paint-work passers noun in a dice cheating scheme, dice
that have been altered by drilling the spots and filling them with
heavy metallic paint
US, 1963
heavy petting noun mutual sexual caressing that stops shy of full
intercourse UK, 1960
heavy roller noun a very important person US, 1974
heavy strings noun useful and powerful connections BAHAMAS, 1982
heavy thumb noun in the usage of youthful model road racers (slot
car racers), a fast, reckless racer
US, 1997
heavyweight Jones noun a drug dealer who sells drugs in a manner
calculated to lead his customers to addiction US, 1971
heavy wizardry noun in computing, designs or code that demand a
specialised and deep practical understanding US, 1991
heavy work er noun a criminal who specialises in breaking into safes
US, 1949
Hebe; Heeb noun a Jewish person. Derogatory US, 1926
Hebrew hoppers noun sandals. From the images of Jesus Christ
wearing sandals
US, 1970
heck noun used as a euphemistic alternative to ‘hell’. Originally
dialect; often exclamatory
UK, 1887
hecka adverb very. A euphemised HELLA US, 1989

heck-city adverb very US, 2004
heckety-heck noun used as a euphemistic alternative to ‘hell’ UK,
2003
hecksa adverb very US, 2004
heck you! used as a euphemistic replacement for ‘fuck you!’ FIJI, 1996
hectic adjective 1 (used of a wave) fairly treacherous US, 1988.
2 extreme, outrageous (often applied to gruesome or gory acts);
good. Teen and youth slang, noted by Sunday Times (South Africa),
1st June 2003
SOUTH AFRICA, 2003
hector! used as a euphemism for ‘heck’, itself a euphemism for
‘hell’ US, 1965
H’ed adjective addicted to heroin US, 1997
hedgehog noun any non-white person; a native of the Indian
Subcontinent; an Arab; any (non-English) foreigner. Rhyming slang
for WOG UK, 1992
hedge hopper noun a crop dusting pilot US, 1954
hedge monkey noun a member of the counterculture travellers’
community. Derogatory UK, 2001
hedge mumper noun a tramp. An elaboration of MUMPER (a tramp).
English gypsy use
UK, 2000
H-E-double toothpicks!; H-E-double hock ey sticks! hell. Youth
slang, euphemistically spelt out
US, 1997
heeb noun a jittery sensation, a fearful feeling. An abbreviation of
HEEBIE JEEBIES UK, 1996
heebie-jeebies noun 1 the jitters, a sense of anxiety. Thought to
have been coined by US cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1890–1942) for
the comic strip Barney Google US, 1923. 2 delirium tremens US, 1926.

3 symptoms of withdrawal from an addictive drug US, 1987
heebies noun jitters US, 1926
Heeeeere’s Johnny used as a humorous introduction.
The drawn-out introduction of US late-night talk show host Johnny
Carson by sidekick Ed McMahon from 1962 until 1992. Widely
repeated, with variations and referential humour
US, 1980
hee-haw noun 1 loud and braying laughter UK, 1843. 2 nothing of any
worth, zero. The value of a donkey’s bray UK, 2000
heel noun 1 a dishonourable or untrustworthy individual US, 1914. 2 in
professional wrestling, a wrestler designed by the promoters to be
seen by the audience as a villain
US, 1958. 3 by extension, any figure
in the wrestling business designed by the promoters to be disliked
by the fans US, 1998
heel verb to leave without paying a bill US, 1966
heel-and-toe verb to run away quickly CANADA, 1870
heeled adjective 1 armed US, 1866. 2 provided with funds US, 1873. 3 in
possession of drugs US, 1970
heeler noun 1 a political party worker who does readily what is
ordered US, 1876. 2 an opportunistic sneak thief US, 1931. 3 in poker,
an unmatched card retained in a player’s hand when drawing
US,
1967
heelie noun in skateboarding, a manoeuvre in which the rider elev-
ates the rear wheels of the board while riding forward on the front
wheels US, 1976
heelish adjective in professional wrestling, villainous US, 1996
heel list noun a list of persons unwelcome as guests at a hotel US,
1953

heesh noun hashish US, 1982
heeze noun hashish CANADA, 2002
heezie; heezy noun < off the heezie; off the heezie for
skeezie
awesome, wonderful, cool, amazing. A hip-hop variation
of ‘off the hook’, apparently coined by rapper Snoop Doggy Dog
US, 1999
heavy | heezie; heezy 328
Hef nickname Hugh Hefner (b.1926), founding publisher of Playboy
magazine, which first appeared in December 1953
US, 1968
heffa noun a stocky girl or woman. A variation of heifer (a young
cow)
UK, 2005
hefty noun in circus and carnival usage, a performer in a strong-man
act US, 1981
hefty adjective 1 well-funded at the moment. Teen slang US, 1958.
2 intense AUSTRALIA, 2002
he-girl noun a person with mixed sexual physiology, usually the
genitals of a male and surgically augmented breasts
US, 2004
hehe in a game of on-line poker, used for acknowledging luck in
winning a hand, 2003
Heidi noun a young woman with back-to-the-earth, 1960s values and
fashion sense, especially one with pigtails
US, 2001
heifer noun a stocky girl or woman. An insult, if not a fighting word
US, 1835
heifer dust noun nonsense. A euphemism for BULLSHIT US, 1927
heifer paddock noun a girls’ school AUSTRALIA, 1885

heigh-ho! used as a signal of enthusiasm US, 1930s to 50s
height noun < from a great height used to intensify the infliction
of punishment or suffering. Always preceded with the passive
sense of a verb combined with ‘on’, e.g. ‘come down on’
UK, 1961
heing and sheing noun sex US, 1993
Heinie noun a German; German US, 1904
heinie; heiny noun 8see: HINEY
Heinies noun Heineken™ beer US, 1982
heinous adjective offensive, unpleasant. Conventional English elev-
ated to slang by attitude US, 1982
Heinz noun a multiple bet, combining 57 bets. Based on the
advertising slogan for, and synonymous with, the products of the
food company H.J. Heinz. A ‘super heinz’ combines 120 bets
UK,
1983
heir and a spare two sons, in the context of a male line of
succession; hence, one and a spare of anything. Used as a mini-
mum breeding requirement by powerful and privileged families
whose bloodline justifies their inheritance, applied especially to
monarchies UK, 2003
heist noun atheftorrobberyUS, 1976
heist verb 1 to accept; when used in the negative, to reject a story or
idea as untruthful or fanciful CANADA, 1999. 2 to steal, especially to
shoplift. There are enough Hollywood heist films to make a genre.
Also spelt ‘hyste’
UK, 1815
heister noun a thief or robber. From the earlier ‘hoister’ UK, 1865
Helen noun heroin. Giving an identity and disguise to H (heroin) US,
1971

heli noun a helicopter US, 1995
helicopter noun 1 in skateboarding, a manoeuvre in which the rider
jumps off the board, turns in the air and then lands on the board
US, 1976. 2 a Chinese-educated person SINGAPORE, 2002
helicopter view noun a non-detailed overview CANADA, 2000
hell noun 1 used widely in oaths, and to reinforce imprecations, and
questions (often rhetorical) of impatience and irritation
UK, 1596.
2 crack cocaine UK, 2003. < for the hell of it; for the sheer hell
of it; just for the hell of it
simply for the pleasure or experi-
ence of doing something; also applied to reckless behaviour UK,
1934. < from hell used for intensifying. Humorous, hyperbolic US,
1965. < get the hell out; get the hell out of here (or
somewhere) to leave, usually with some haste US, 1971. < hell
out of
when combined with a verb of violent action, such as
knock, punch, thump, etc, to treat a person extremely roughly
IRELAND, 1922. < play hell with; play merry hell with to cause
severe trouble for someone or something UK, 1803. < to hell
intensely, when combined with a wish or hope UK, 1891. < to hell
with it!
used for registering or reinforcing dismissal UK, 1929.
< will I hell! used as an expression of strong disagreement.
Often applied in the third person: ‘will he hell!’ or ‘will they hell!’
UK, 1931
hella adverb extremely US, 1992
hellacious adjective especially nasty or difficult US, 1929
hell and gone; hell-and-gone noun a far-distant place or point in
time

US, 1938
hell-bent adjective recklessly determined US, 1835
hellcat noun a wild, fierce woman UK, 1605
hell dust noun any powdered drug; heroin; morphine US, 1953
heller noun a wild, uninhibited party US, 1975
hellery noun trouble, mischief, bad behaviour CANADA, 1965
hell-fire! used as a register of exasperation, frustration, anger, etc UK,
1997
hell-for-stout adjective very strong US, 1954
hell-hole noun 1 a horrible, infernal place UK, 1882. 2 in a combat
helicopter, an approximately 34-inch-square opening in the floor,
used for emergencies and roping down to and up from the ground
US, 1976
hellifying adjective used as an adjectival intensifier US, 1973
hellish adjective 1 unpleasant, difficult UK, 1569. 2 used as a positive
intensifier; excellent
UK: ENGLAND, 2001
hellish adverb used as a pejorative intensifier UK, 1768
hellishing; hellishun adverb used as an intensifier. An elaboration
of
HELLISH (an intensifier) on the model of FUCKING, SODDING, etc
AUSTRALIA, 1931
hello! used for signalling disbelief when said as if speaking to
someone slow-witted US, 1985
hell of adverb extremely. A reverse correction of the corrupted HELLA
US
, 1995
hell of a adjective an extreme, good or great example of something.
May be preceded with ‘a’, ‘the’ or ‘one’ UK, 1776
Hell Pass Hole nickname El Paso, Texas US, 1970

hellride noun in mountain biking, any bad trail or bad ride US, 1992
hell’s bells used as a mild oath UK, 1832
hell’s half acre noun during the Vietnam war, an area just north of
Cu Chi, dominated if not controlled by the Viet Cong US, 1991
hell to breakfast noun here to there, all over US, 1930
helluva hell of a US, 1910
hell week noun a period of extreme harassment, especially of new
recruits to a college fraternity by their older fraternity brothers US,
1930
helmet noun 1 the head of the circumcised penis. From the simi-
larity in shape to a World War 2 German Army helmet US, 1970. 2 a
uniformed police constable UK, 2002
helo noun a helicopter US, 1965
helo adjective none CANADA, 1963
helpcat noun a tutor; a student assistant. A punning allusion to HEP
CAT US
, 1955
helper noun any amphetamine or other central nervous system
stimulant US, 1963
helter skelter noun a shelter. Originally a World War 2 coinage for
an ‘air raid shelter’. Noted as still in occasional use as a ‘bus
shelter’ UK, 1992
helter-skelter adverb in defiance of order; pell-mell UK, 1593
he-man noun an especially virile or overtly masculine man, a
masterful man US, 1832
hem and haw verb to stutter, to hestitate while beginning a
sentence UK, 1786
hemp noun marijuana US, 1883
hempen fever noun execution by hanging UK, 1785
hemp head noun a frequent user of marijuana US, 1980

329 Hef | hemp head
hempster noun anyone involved in the business of retailing hemp.
From
HEMP (marijuana) and conventional, perfectly legal ‘hemp’
UK, 2002
hempty noun leaves from the hemp plant CANADA, 2002
hen noun 1 a woman UK, 1626. 2 used for informally addressing a
woman; also, as an endearment
UK: SCOTLAND, 1626. 3 aflamboyant
feminine male homosexual
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1985. 4 in a deck of
playing cards, a queen
US, 1988. 5 the Sea Knight military helicopter.
A term used by reconnaissance troops in Vietnam
US, 1991
hen apple noun an egg US, 1938
hench noun a person in attractive physical shape UK, 2005
hen fruit noun an egg US, 1854
Henley regatta noun a conversation. Rhyming slang for NATTER,
formed from the famous sporting event UK, 1998
hen mill noun a women’s jail or prison US, 1960
Henny; Hen’ noun Hennessy™ cognac UK, 1999
henny penny noun a female player in a low-stakes game of poker US,
1988
henpecked adjective ruled by a domineering woman. The surviving
form of the original verb ‘hen-peck’ UK, 1680
hen pen noun a women’s prison US, 1992
henry noun an eighth of an ounce (three and a half grams) of a
drug, especially marijuana or cocaine. Cutting HENRY THE EIGHTH
down to size UK, 1998

Henry noun 1 any Ford Motor Company car or engine US, 1917.
2 heroin. From ‘heroin’ to H to Henry US, 1953
Henry Fonda noun a Honda 90 motorcycle. Rhyming slang, used by
(prospective) London taxi drivers; the Honda 90 is the machine of
preference when they DO THE KNOWLEDGE UK, 1998
Henry IV noun the human immunodeficiency virus US, 2001
Henry the Eighth noun eight grams of cocaine US, 1993
Henry the Fourth noun four grams of cocaine US, 1993
Henry the Third noun a piece of excrement. Rhyming slang for
TURD AUSTRALIA, 1971
Henry was here noun the bleed period of the menstrual cycle UK:
WALES
, 2000
hen’s night noun a woman-only pre-wedding party held for the
bride-to-be. The counterpart of the BUCK’S PARTY AUSTRALIA, 1994
hen’s teeth noun the epitome of that which is exceedingly rare
AUSTRALIA, 1965
hentai adjective overtly pornographic. A Japanese term, usually
applied to a style of Japanese animation; one of only a few
Japanese terms to have worked its way into unconventional
English usage, thanks to pornographic websites on the Internet
JAPAN, 1996
hep noun hepatitis US, 1967
hep adjective 1 aware US, 1903. 2 in step with the latest fashion, latest
music and latest slang US, 1942
hepatic rounds noun used in a hospital as a humorous code for a
drinking party to be held on hospital grounds US, 1989
hepatitis roll noun a meat and salad roll. Used by Australian troops
during the Vietnam conflict to refer to such rolls commonly sold
by street vendors, and reputed to be the cause of gastrointestinal

and other complaints AUSTRALIA, 1988
Hepburn’s Hussars noun a special police force organised by Ontario
Premier Mitch Hepburn to deal with an Oshawa car workers’ strike
CANADA, 1946
hep cat; hepped cat noun a fan of jazz or swing music; a stylish
and fashionable man US, 1938
heppo noun hepatitis AUSTRALIA, 1987
heppo r oll noun a hepatitis roll AUSTRALIA, 1988
hep square noun a person who lives a conventional life but has
some awareness of unconventional lifestyles
US, 1972
her noun cocaine US, 1981
Hera noun heroin. Disguising ‘heroin’ with the name of a Greek
goddess
UK, 2002
herb noun marijuana. Celebrated in song by Sly & the
Revolutionaries, ‘Herb’, 1979
US, 1962
Herb noun < cry herb; call herb to vomit. Echoic AUSTRALIA, 1967 8
CRY RUTH
herb verb to assault a weak person US, 1995
herbal adjective pertaining to marijuana US, 1995
herbal bliss noun MDMA, the recreational drug best known as
ecstasy UK, 2003
herbal ecstasy noun a substance that is not restricted by drug
control legislation and is claimed to be a natural substitute for
MDMA UK, 2004
herbals noun marijuana US, 1995
herb and a’ noun marijuana and alcohol. A lazy clipping of HERB
AND AL US

, 1980s
Herb and Al; Herbie and Al noun marijuana and alcohol US, 1981
herbert noun 1 a mischievous child or youth. Quite often heard as
‘little herbert’ UK, 1999. 2 a harmless youth; a ridiculous man. An
extension of the previous sense UK, 1960. 3 a man in a specified
field of endeavour UK, 1956
Herbie noun in Antarctica, a powerful blizzard ANTARCTICA, 1987
Herbie Alley noun the passage between Black Island and White
Island, through which fast-moving Antarctic blizzards develop
ANTARCTICA, 2003
Herbie Hides noun trousers. Rhyming slang for STRIDES,formed
from the name of Nigerian heavyweight boxer Henry Hide (b.1971)
UK, 1998
herbs noun 1 marijuana UK, 2000. 2 (of a motor engine) power
AUSTRALIA, 1960
herbsman noun a marijuana smoker. Used as a song title by King
Stitt and Andy Capp, ‘Herbsman’, 1970 JAMAICA, 1975
Herc; Herk; Herky Bird noun the Hercules C-130 medium cargo
transport aircraft manufactured by Lockheed. The primary
transport aircraft used for US military forces in Vietnam US, 1980
hercules noun especially potent phencyclidine, the recreational drug
known as PCP or angel dust US, 1981
herd noun 1 a packet of Camel™ cigarettes US, 1945. 2 a quantity of
something IRELAND, 1991
Herd noun < The Herd the 173rd Airborne Brigade, US Army.
The first major US combat unit sent to Vietnam US, 1991
herd verb in hot rodding, to drive (a hot rod) US, 1933
herder noun 1 a prison guard assigned to a prison yard US, 1992. 2 in
horse racing, a jockey or horse that forces the other horses to
bunch up behind it US, 1951. 3 on the railways, a yard pointsman US,

1930
here and there noun a chair. Rhyming slang, always used in full UK,
1992
here’s how used as a toast UK, 1896
herewego;herewegoagainused for registering resignation at
the commencement of an anticipated, predictable or otherwise
undesirable event UK, 1954
her indoors; ‘er indoors; ’er noun the wife of the user. Coined for
television comedy drama series Minder,1979–94
UK, 1984
Herman Fink noun ink. Rhyming slang UK, 1960
Herman the German noun the penis US, 1991
hermit noun a poker player wearing headphones during play US, 1996
hero noun 1 heroin US, 1953. 2 a surfer whose opinion of his own skills
exceeds his actual skills
US, 1985
hero gear noun enemy paraphernalia taken from the battlefield US,
1961
heroina noun heroin US, 1994
herone noun heroin UK, 1998
hempster | herone 330
hero of the underworld noun heroin. An elaboration of HERO
(heroin) US, 1986
herox noun 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylaimine, a mild
hallucinogen
US, 1995
herring and kipper; herring noun a striptease dancer. Rhyming
slang for
STRIPPER UK, 1992
herringboner noun a dairy farmer NEW ZEALAND, 2002

herring choker noun 1 a person from New Brunswick or elsewhere
in the Canadian Maritime Provinces
US, 1899. 2 a Scandanavian US,
1936
herring snapper noun a Scandanavian US, 1930
herself noun a wife, your wife, a female partner IRELAND, 1989
Hershey Highway noun the rectum US, 1973
Hershey road noun the rectum US, 1974
Hershey squirts noun diarrhoea. A joking if unpleasant allusion to
Hershey™ chocolate
US, 1972
he-she noun a man living as a woman, either as a transvestite or
transsexual; an effeminate male US, 1871
hesher; heshen; hesh noun a fan of heavy metal music US, 1997
hesh girl; hash girl noun a prostitute who works in cheap drinking
establishments. Urban and township slang
SOUTH AFRICA, 1973
he shoots! he scores! used for celebrating a minor accomplish-
ment. From the television programme Saturday Night Live US, 1991
hesitation marks noun scars on the inner wrist from failed suicide
attempts
US, 1972
hessle noun heroin UK, 1998
het adjective heterosexual US, 1972
hetboy noun a heterosexual male. Internet shorthand US, 1995
heter noun a heterosexual UK, 1980
hetero noun a heterosexual UK, 1933
hetgirl noun a heterosexual female. Internet shorthand US, 1995
het up; all het up adjective excited. From a dialect variation of
‘heated’ or ‘heated up’ US, 1909

hex noun a number sign (#) on a computer keyboard US, 1991
hexy noun hexamine (a solid fuel provided in small blocks). Military
UK, 1995
hey? 1 pardon? Used alone or as the introduction to a question that
is formed using a standard interrogative SOUTH AFRICA, 1961. 2 used at
the end of a question for emphasis or as a means of demanding a
response SOUTH AFRICA, 1969
hey used as a discourse break that raises emphasis or focus US, 1974
hey-diddle-diddle noun a swindle, a deception. Rhyming slang for
FIDDLE UK: SCOTLAND, 1988
hey-hey noun a good time US, 1985
hey now 1 used as a greeting US, 1946. 2 used for getting attention US,
1987
hey-presto! a command used by stage magicians; hence, used for
registering a sudden or surprising transformation; cynically used
for ‘as if by magic’ when a predictable change occurs
UK, 1731
hey rube noun a fight between swindlers of any sort and their
victims US, 1900
hey, rube! used as an insider request for help in a fight. Originally
and principally an expression used in the circus and carnivals US,
1900
hey-you noun an uncouth or insolent person. From the signature
conversational gambit employed by such people UK: SCOTLAND, 1988
HFH used as a jaded abbreviation of a jaded ‘ho-fucking-hum’ US,
1990
H-head noun a habitual user of heroin UK, 1978
HHOJ; HHOK used in computer message shorthand to mean ‘ha-
ha only joking’ or ‘ha-ha only kidding’ US, 1991
hi-ball noun a central nervous system stimulant, especially

dextroamphetamine (trade name Dexamyl™)
US, 1971
hiccup noun a fault in administration, an interruption to any
smooth-running procedure
UK, 1974
hiccup verb in computing when transferring data, to inadvertently
skip some data or send some data twice
US, 1995
hick noun an unsophisticated, simple person from the far rural
reaches. A familiar form of ‘Richard’. Now chiefly US use
UK, 1565
hickey noun 1 a bruise on the skin caused by a partner’s mouth
during foreplay; a suction kiss
US, 1942. 2 a favourable movie review
US, 1997. 3 in dominoes, a type of side bet US, 1981. 4 in pool, a rule
infraction
US, 1992
Hickey noun a notional province where there are no manners or
courtesy
BARBADOS, 1965
hickory dickory dock; hickory dickory noun a clock. Rhyming
slang; an elaboration of
DICKORY DOCK, from the nursery rhyme
which continues ‘A mouse ran up the clock’
UK, 1998
hiddy adjective 1 drunk US, 1989. 2 hideous US, 1990
hide noun 1 the human skin UK, 1607. 2 impudence; effrontery; cheek
AUSTRALIA, 1902. 3 a wallet US, 1932. 4 a horse US, 1934. 5 in hot rodding,
a tyre US, 1960
hide verb < hide the salami to have sex. ‘Sausage’ as ‘penis’

imagery; a variation of the earlier HIDE-THE-WEENIE US, 1983
hide and seek noun impudence. Rhyming slang for ‘cheek’ UK, 1992
hideaway noun a pocket US, 1945
hi-de-hi a greeting, answered by ‘ho-de-ho’. First recorded during
World War 2; adopted by Jimmy Perry and David Croft as the title
(and catchphrase) of a television situation comedy set in a 1950s
holiday camp (BBC, 1980–88); the call and response greeting is
still heard, but often ironic
UK, 1941
hideola adjective ugly. A variation of conventional ‘hideous’ UK, 1992
hides noun drums. Jazz slang UK, 1986
hide-the-baloney noun sexual intercourse US, 1973
hide-the-sausage noun sexual intercourse AUSTRALIA, 1971
hide-the-weenie noun sexual intercourse US, 1968
hidey noun the children’s game hide and seek AUSTRALIA, 1957
hi diddle diddle noun 1 middle, especially the middle of a dart
board. Rhyming slang UK, 1992. 2 a swindle, a deception UK, 1992. 3 a
violin, a fiddle. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
hiding noun a beating; a heavy defeat UK, 1809
hiding to nothing noun < on a hiding to nothing faced with a
situation in which any outcome is unfavourable UK, 1905
hids adjective lacking fashion sense. An abbreviation of the conven-
tional ‘hideous’
US, 2002
hidy-hole; hidey-hole noun a hiding place UK, 1817
hidy-ho, neighbor used as a humorous greeting. A catchphrase
salutation from the US television comedy Home Improvements
(ABC, 1991–99). Repeated with referential humour US, 1991
hifalutin adjective 8see: HIGHFALUTIN
higgledy-piggledy adjective in a confused jumble. Probably derived

as a rhyming elaboration of the disordered huddle in which pigs
exist UK, 1598
high noun 1 the sensation produced by consuming drugs or alcohol
US, 1944. 2 a sense of exhilaration, unrelated to drugs US, 1970
High noun Miller High Life™ beer US, 1967
high adjective 1 drunk or drug-intoxicated UK, 1627. 2 under the influ-
ence of a drug, especially marijuana US, 1931. 3 bad-smelling
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 1935. < at high warble angry, especially
without justification. Naval aviator usage US, 1986
high and light adjective pleasantly drug-intoxicated US, 1952
high and mighty; high-and-mighty adjective arrogant, imperious
UK, 1825
high and tight noun a man’s haircut in which the sides of the head
are shaved and a quarter-inch of hair is left on top. A military term
for a military haircut US, 1988
high as a kite adjective very drunk or drug-intoxicated. Rhyming
slang for
TIGHT (drunk); a clever elaboration of HIGH US, 1939
331 hero of the underworld | high as a kite
high-ass adjective haughty; arrogant US, 1931
highball noun 1 in the used car business, a knowingly inflated price
US, 1975. 2 a signal to a train engineer to increase speed US, 1897. 3 a
glass of milk
US, 1946
highball verb 1 to travel fast US, 1912. 2 to see. Probably playing on
EYEBALL US, 1965
high beams noun 1 erect nipples on a woman’s breasts seen
through a garment
US, 1986. 2 the wide open eyes of a person
under the influence of crack cocaine

US, 1994
high bountious adjective very bad-smelling TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003
highboy noun in hot rodding, a coupe, sedan or roadster that sits on
top of the frame rails at stock height, that has not been lowered
US, 1968
highbrow noun a person of superior intellectual quality or interests;
a person who affects interests that imply an intellectual superiority
US, 1907
highbrow adjective of superior intellectual quality or interest UK, 1884
high-brown adjective of mixed black and white heritage. Originally
white usage, then adopted by African-Americans US, 1915
high camp noun an ostentatious, highly mannered style. A refined
variation of CAMP US, 1966
high cap verb to brag, to banter, to gossip US, 1990
high diver noun a person who enjoys or excels at performing oral
sex on women. A construction built on the image of going down
US, 1981
high drag noun elaborate female clothing worn by a man US, 1963
higher-higher noun the upper echelons of military command US, 1991
highfalutin; hifalutin adjective absurdly pompous, snobbish.
Probably an elaboration of ‘high-flown’ or similar; ‘highfaluting’
(the ‘g’ is optional) was originally hyphenated which lends strength
to this etymology. Yiddish hifelufelem (ostentatious, self-glorifying)
is also possible US, 1839
high five noun 1 a greeting or sign of approval accomplished by
slapping open palms with arms extended above head-level. The
greeting and term originated in sport but quickly spread US, 1980.
2 HIV. A construction based on an abbreviation of ‘high’ to ‘hi’
and conversion of ‘V’ to the Roman numeral five US, 2003
high five verb to raise your open hand above your head and slap it

against the open hand of someone else US, 1981
high fur noun the refuelling of a hovering helicopter US, 1991
high gr ade noun marijuana. Recorded by a Jamaican inmate of a
UK prison, August 2002 UK, 2002
high hard one noun forceful sex US, 1986
high hat noun opium. From an earlier sense (a large opium pill) US,
1896
high-hat; high-hatted adjective snobbish, superior, supercilious US,
1924
high-heel boy noun a paratrooper US, 1948
high holy noun in the usage of counterculturalists associated with
the Rainbow Nation gatherings, an older, experienced member of
the counterculture. Often used with a degree of irony and lack of
reverence
US, 1997
high horse noun a position of arrogant superiority US, 1947
high iron noun the main line of a railway US, 1930
high-jive verb to tease, to taunt, to belittle US, 1938
high jump noun a court higher than a local magistrate’s AUSTRALIA,
1944. < be for the high jump 1 to be faced with a severe official
reprimand or punishment. Of military origin. With variations ‘be
up for the high jump’ and ‘be in for the high jump’ UK, 1919. 2 to
be engaged to be married IRELAND, 1992
highland fling noun to sing. Rhyming slang, credited to a 1950s
recording by Billy Cotton and Alan Breeze UK, 1992
highlighter noun a political leader or spokesman among prisoners
US, 1976
highly adverb used as an intensifier with an attitude US, 1991
highly illogical adjective illogical. A signature line of the Vulcan Mr
Spock on the first incarnation of Star Trek (NBC, 1966–69).

Repeated with referential humour
US, 1968
high maintenance adjective (used of a person) requiring a great deal
of attention and/or money; needy
US, 1989
highness noun < her highness; his highness your spouse.
Affectionately ironic
UK, 1961
high noon noun 1 in craps, a roll of twelve US, 1982. 2 a spoon.
Rhyming slang, formed from the title of the 1952 film
UK, 1992
high-nose verb to snub; to ignore US, 1954
high number noun an especially fashionable member of the Mod
youth fashion movement
UK, 1986
high octane adjective caffeinated. Borrowing from the language of
car fuel for application to the world of coffee drinks and, to a
lesser extent, soft drinks
US, 1995
high off the hog adverb prosperously US, 1970
high play noun showy spending designed to impress US, 1972
high pockets noun the stature of a tall, thin man US, 1912
high puller noun a devoted player of casino slot machines, especially
those with higher bets and higher payouts. A play on the term
HIGH ROLLER US, 1985
high-rider noun a car or truck that has been structurally altered to
ride very high; a person who drives such a car or truck US, 1982
high-riders noun trousers worn above the waist US, 1975
highroll verb to spend freely and to live fast US, 1975
high r oller noun 1 a gambler who makes large bets and spends

freely US, 1881. 2 in television and film-making, a large, tall, three-
legged light stand US, 1990
high r olling adjective materially successful. From HIGH ROLLER (a big
spender) US, 1890
highs noun in pool, the striped balls numbered 9 to 15 US, 1990
high-school Harriet noun a high-school girl who is dating a college
boy US, 1966
high-school Harry noun an immature college male; a typical high-
school student US, 1959
high-school horse noun in horse racing, a racehorse that seems to
win only when the odds are very high. Based on the humorous
suggestion that the horse is so smart it can read the posted odds
US, 1951
high shots noun in the illegal production of alcohol, liquor that
exceeds 100 proof US, 1974
high side noun 1 the outside of a curve in a road US, 1966. 2 in craps,
the numbers over 7 US, 1950
high-side verb to show off US, 1965
high speed, low drag adjective competent, reliable, dependable.
Vietnam war usage US, 1991
high sphincter tone noun said of a person with a high degree of
inhibition and a conservative nature US, 1994
high spot noun the outstanding part or feature of something UK, 1926
high stepper noun pepper. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
hightail verb to move very quickly. Almost always used with ‘it’ US,
1919
high tea noun a social gathering of male homosexuals US, 1981
high tide noun the bleed period of the menstrual cycle US, 1970
high-up noun a person of high rank or importance UK, 1929
high waist noun vigorous sex. The ‘high’ suggests the woman’s

ability to lift the man up from below during sex
TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO
, 2003
high-waist adjective (used of a woman) skilled at sex TRINIDAD AND
TOBAGO
, 2003
high wall job noun a burglary that requires climbing UK, 1996
high-waters noun long trousers that are too short or short trousers
that are too long
US, 1971
high-ass | high-waters 332
highway princess noun a prostitute, especially one who works at
truck stops
US, 1976
highway salute noun a gesture with the middle finger meaning
‘fuck you’
US, 1977
highway surfer noun a person who adopts the mannerisms of
surfers, buys the equipment, but never seems to get out of the car
into the water
US, 1963
high, wide and handsome; high, wide and fancy adjective
excellent; first-rate. The title of a 1937 musical/romance film
starring James Burke
US, 1947
high wine noun a mixture of alcohol and flavoured water CANADA, 1957
high yellow; high yaller; high yella noun a light-skinned black
person, especially female; a Creole; a mulatto. ‘Objectionable
when referring to lighter-colored black persons’ according to

Dictionary of Cautionary Words and Phrases, 1989
US, 1923
high yellow; high yaller; high yella adjective light-skinned US, 1958
hijinks; hijinx noun an act or acts of self-indulgent frivolity. An
altered spelling of conventional ‘high jinks’
US, 1995
hijo de la chingada noun son of a fucked woman. Border Spanish
used in English conversation by Mexican-Americans; highly
insulting
US, 1974
hike verb to insult in a competitive, quasi-friendly spirit, especially by
reference to your opponent’s family US, 2000
hiker noun a prison officer whose duty is to be anywhere in the
prison when required UK, 1996
hike up verb 1 of clothes, to work out of position or to drag into
place
US, 1873. 2 to raise prices US, 2003
Hilda Handcuffs; Hilda noun apoliceofficer;thepolice.An
example of CAMP trans-gender assignment, in this case an assonant
play on handcuffs as stereotypical police equipment UK, 1992
hill noun < go over the hill to desert military duty; to escape from
prison US, 1912. < on the hill in pool, needing only one more
score to win US, 1993. < over the hill past your prime US, 1950
Hill noun < the Hill Parliament Hill in Ottawa CANADA, 1965
hill and dale noun a tale, of the type told by a confidence trickster.
Rhyming slang UK, 1953
hillbilly adjective chilly. Glasgow rhyming slang UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
hillbilly chrome noun aluminium paint US, 1971
hillbilly craps noun craps played on the sidewalk or otherwise as a
private game US, 1950

hillbilly hell noun used as an embellished, intensified ‘hell’ US, 1970
hillbilly heroin noun the synthetic opiate oxycodone used
recreationally. When dissolved in water and injected, or crushed
and inhaled, it has a similar effect to heroin. The drug’s popularity
in the rural Appalachian Mountains region led to the ‘hillbilly’
reference. It came to the forefront of the American national
conscious in late 2003 when radio entertainer Rush Limbaugh was
reported to be addicted to OxyContin™
US, 2001
hillbilly operahouse noun a truck with a radio US, 1971
hillbilly special noun a truck manufactured by General Motors
Corporation US, 1971
Hill Fights noun a series of battles in the vicinity of Khe Sanh, South
Vietnam, in April and May 1967
US, 1988
hill game noun in pool, a situation where either player can win with
a single pocket US, 1993
hillman hunter; hillman noun a client or customer of any service
that has little respect for the clients and customers. Rhyming
slang, formed from the name of a 1970s car UK, 1992
hillybin noun a lesbian NEW ZEALAND, 1973
Hilton noun a camp where firefighters fighting a forest fire sleep US,
1991
him noun heroin US, 1969 8see: HE
Himalaya gold; Himalaya noun a potent marijuana with yellow
hairs on a pale green bud. A hybrid plant cultivated in the 1990s,
not in the Himalayas but with genetic antecedents in Nepal and
South India; the naming is, perhaps, also an ironic reference to the
highest physical location on planet earth
UK, 2003

himbo noun a man objectified by his good looks and presumed lack
of intellectual qualities; a man who trades on this image; a gigolo.
Plays on contemporary use of BIMBO (a beautiful and available
young woman – if you are a rich older man)
US, 1988
Hinckley; Hinkley noun phencyclidine, the recreational drug known
as PCP or angel dust US, 1984
hincty adjective conceited, vain, arrogant US, 1924
hind claw noun a means of support secondary to your job BARBADOS,
1965
hind hook noun the rear brakeman on a freight train US, 1946
hind tit noun < on the hind tit; suck the hind tit to be last in
order or standing US, 1940
Hindu shuffle noun in card trickery, a technique that will keep a
card or several cards on the bottom of the deck
UK, 2003
hiney; heiny; heinie noun the buttocks US, 1921
hinge noun the elbow US, 1945
hinges noun < off your hinges mentally unhinged, crazy. Word
play; as ‘off the hinges’ from 1611 to mid-C19
UK, 1986
Hinglish noun a hybrid language formed of Hindi and English; also
applied to an informal blending of Punjabi and English UK, 2001
hinked up adjective suspicious, afraid US, 2000
hinky adjective 1 nervous, anxious US, 1956. 2 suspicious US, 1975
hinky-dee noun a form of comedic song US, 1949
hinky-dinky adjective small-time, second class, outmoded. A cousin
of the more famous
RINKY-DINK US, 1967
hip noun 1 a member of the 1960s counterculture US, 1967. 2 a heroin

addict US, 1953. 3 the buttocks BAHAMAS, 1982
hip verb 1 to explain, to bring up to date, to inform US, 1932. 2 to
figure out, to become aware US, 1975. < hip your ship to let you
know US, 1953
hip adjective 1 knowing, understanding US, 1902. 2 in style, fashionable,
admired US, 1944. < hip to all happ enings profoundly aware of
the latest trends and happenings US, 1964
hip cat noun a fan of jazz or swing music; a stylish and fashionable
man US, 1947
hipe verb in a cheating scheme in a game of cards, to restore a deck
to its original position after a cheating move US, 1962
hip-flinger noun a dancer in any type of overtly sexual dance US, 1981
hip-hop noun used as a loose categorisation of (initially) black urban
youth culture, encompassing breakdancing, graffiti art, DJing and
rap music; used as an umbrella for any music, especially dance
and rap-music, that falls within the general style; any fashion or
style that is defined by association with the culture. Combining
HIP (fashionable) and HOP (dance); like ROCK ‘N’ ROLL before it, ‘hip-
hop’ is an American phenomenon that has had a worldwide
impact
US, 1982
hip hop daisy age noun an early 1990s fashion in hip-hop culture
that approximated the ‘peace and love’ attitudes of the hippie
movement UK, 2003
hip kick noun the rear pocket on a pair of trousers US, 1981
hipky-dripk y noun mischief US, 1959
hi-po adjective in motor racing, high performance US, 1993
hipped adjective 1 aware of, knowledgeable of US, 1920. 2 carrying a
gun US, 1920
hipped to the tip adjective aware of everything US, 1947

hipper noun a large, swollen bruise on the hip. Noted as a sports
injury suffered by foot-propelled scooter-riders UK, 2000
hippie; hippy noun a follower of jazz and the jazz scene who strives
to be hip US, 1952
hippie crack noun nitrous oxide. A substance of abuse favoured by
hippies and neo-hippies, seductive if not addictive US, 1992
333 highway princess | hippie crack
hipping noun a nappy (diaper) or sanitary towel TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,
2003
hippo noun an armoured personnel carrier used by the South
African police
SOUTH AFRICA, 1996
Hippo noun any theatre called the Hippodrome. An affectionate
shortening of an actor’s place of work, such as, in Britain, the
Birmingham Hippo, the Bristol Hippo, and, in the US, the
Baltimore Hippo
UK, 1937
hip pocket noun a truck’s glove compartment US, 1976
hippy adjective 1 full-hipped US, 1963. 2 mentally dulled by years of
imprisonment US, 1950
hippy-dippy noun a hippy or hippie, in either sense. Derogatory US,
1969
hippy-dippy adjective used to describe the ‘peace and love’ philos-
ophy of the hippy movement
US, 1960
hippy hill nickname a hill in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco,
between the Stanyan Street entrance and Dinosaur Valley
US, 1967
hippytitis noun hepatitis UK, 1970
hippy-trippy adjective psychedelic. A rhyming combination of the

counterculture and the effects of drugs UK, 2001
hippy witch noun a girl who 30 years later still dresses in the styles
popular with the late 1960s counterculture US, 1997
hip-square noun a conventional person who at moments adopts the
drapings of the jazz lifestyle without fully embracing it
US, 1961
hipster noun 1 a devotee of jazz and the jazz lifestyle US, 1940. 2 a
person at the stylish edge of fashionable. A contemporary variation
US, 2002
hipsway noun dismissal UK: SCOTLAND, 1988
hir used as a gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun US, 1997
hirsute adjective in computing, complicated. Used as a jocular
synonym for ‘hairy’ US, 1983
hi-si noun high society US, 1957
his lordship noun used ironically of a male who is perceived to
behave in a manner that is somehow above his status. Derisive UK,
1961
hiss noun to hike rapidly NEW ZEALAND, 1958
hissy-fit; hissy noun a tantrum US, 1997
history noun 1 the condition of being doomed or finished US, 1978.
2 in a swindle, the background on a victim, people likely to be
encountered, a location or event
US, 1977
history sheeter noun a person with a criminal record INDIA, 2003
hit noun 1 a single inhalation of marijuana, hashish, crack cocaine, or
any drug’s smoke US, 1952. 2 a dose of a drug US, 1952. 3 an
intravenous injection of a drug, usually heroin
UK, 1996. 4 a meeting
with a drug dealer and a drug user US, 1952. 5 in the eastern US in
the early 1990s, prescription medication with codeine US, 1993. 6 a

marijuana cigarette UK, 2001. 7 a tablet of MDMA, the recreational
drug best known as ecstasy UK, 2003. 8 a deliberate inhalation of
solvent fumes, such as glue sniffing UK, 1982. 9 a blast of euphoria,
joy, excitement. Figurative use of a drug term US, 1971. 10 the elec-
tronic registration of a visit to a website
US, 1995. 11 a planned
murder
US, 1950. 12 an arrest US, 1973. 13 a winning bet in an illegal
lottery UK, 1818. 14 in blackjack, a card that a player requests from
the dealer to add to his hand US, 1980. 15 in snowboarding, a snow
jump CANADA, 1996. < on hit excellent US, 1997
hit verb 1 to inject drugs into a vein US, 1949. 2 to take an inhalation
of marijuana smoke
US, 1952. 3 to smoke (marijuana) US, 1949. 4 to
guess correctly the day’s number in an illegal lottery US, 1947. 5 to
kill in a planned, professional manner US, 1949. 6 to rob US, 1970. 7 to
cover with graffiti US, 1997. 8 to visit, to go to a place US, 1995. 9 to
serve a drink US, 1932. 10 to ask for something, especially money US,
1894
. 11 to telephone someone with a mobile phone US, 2002. 12 to
win. From cricket
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003. 13 to have sex US, 2004.
< be hit with a bit to be sentenced to prison. From BIT (a
prison sentence) US, 1962. < can’t hit the bull in the arse with
a scoop shovel
to be physically or mentally useless. ‘This
expression describes someone who is totally uncoordinated.
As this involves both a broad weapon and a broad target it refers
not to poor marksmanship, but rather to a total inability to act in
a coordinated manner.’ Chris Thain, Cold as a Bay Street Banker’s

Heart, 1987 CANADA, 1987. < hit a hur dle to die; to suffer a severe
setback
AUSTRALIA, 1989. < hit a lick to commit a robbery US, 2001.
< hit daylight to be released from prison US, 1988. < hit for six
to demolish another’s argument, proposal or plan. A figurative use
of a cricketing term
UK, 1937. < hit in the seat an act of anal
intercourse US, 1976. < hit it to leave US, 1930. < hit it a lick; hit
it
in poker, to raise a bet US, 1988. < hititoffto take a mutual
liking to someone UK, 1780. < hit it up to strike up an
acquaintance
US, 1934. < hit on the hip to page electronically US,
1996. < hit the books to study hard US, 1968. < hit the bottle to
bleach your hair blonde. Teen slang, punning on a term associated
with drinking US, 1955. < hit the breeze to leave NEW ZEALAND, 1974.
< hit the bricks to work on the street US, 1973. < hit the
bucket
to drink very heavily. A humorous variation on ‘hit the
bottle’ (to drink heavily) UK: SCOTLAND, 1988. < hit the burner to
draw upon all of your inner resources and stamina. US naval
aviator usage
US, 1986. < hit the ceiling to become very angry US,
1914. < hit the cinders to jump or fall from a moving train US,
1977. < hit the deck 1 to fall or throw yourself to the ground US,
1925. 2 to land a plane UK, 1943. 3 to get out of bed. Often as an
imperative UK, 1918. 4 to go to bed UK, 1935. < hit the dex to work
as a DJ. Fashionable spelling for (record) ‘decks’, combined with a
vague play on other senses of
HIT THE DECK UK, 2002. < hit the

Dixie
to stop idling and start doing something BAHAMAS, 1982.
< hit the gravel; hit the grit to fall from a moving train US,
1946. < hit the hay to go to bed. Originally used by tramps;
anglicised in 1929 by Conan Doyle US, 1912. < hit the hop to use
drugs, especially heroin or opium
US, 1963. < hit the jackpot to
have great success or good fortune, especially when unexpected or
beyond your expectations. A figurative application of ‘jackpot’, a
poker term applied generally to any gambling prize. Known
worldwide in its variant forms: ‘crack’ (favoured in Australia), ‘hit’,
‘strike’ or ‘win’
US, 2001. < hit the mainline to inject a drug
intravenously. A combination of
HIT (to inject) and MAINLINE (a
vein)
US, 1950. < hit the moon to reach the highest plateau of a
drug experience US, 1971. < hit the needle to inject a drug
intravenously. A combination of HIT (to inject) and the means of
delivery US, 1950. < hit the pipe to smoke crack cocaine US, 1992.
< hit the pit 1 to inject a drug into the armpit. A combination
of HIT (to inject) and PIT (the armpit) UK, 1998. 2 to be incarcerated
US, 1992. < hit the post in the language of radio disc jockeys, to
talk during the introduction of a song, completing your thought
just before the song’s vocal begins
US, 1997. < hit the prone to
throw yourself to the ground US, 1977. < hit the road; hit the
trail
to go; to commence or recommence a journey US, 1899.
< hit the roof to be, or to become very angry; to exhibit that

anger UK, 1925. < hit the sack to go to bed, to go to sleep US, 1912.
< hit the sauce to drink alcohol US, 1997. < hit the sewer to
inject heroin or another drug intravenously US, 1973. < hit the
silk in card games, to withdraw from or end a game or hand.
From the military slang for bailing out of an aircraft by parachute
(silk) US, 1972. < hit the skids to deteriorate US, 1958. < hit the
slab
to be killed US, 1950. < hit the toe to depart; to decamp
AUSTRALIA, 1983. < hit the wall to reach a point of exhaustion
beyond which lesser athletes will fail to continue, especially of
long-distance and marathon runners US, 1982. < hit with a check
to discharge from employment and pay off owed wages US, 1954.
< hit your marks in television and film-making, to move to the
proper place at the proper time in a scene US, 1990
hit and get verb to rob one place and then hurry to rob somewhere
else UK, 1996
hit and miss; hit or miss noun 1 a kiss. Rhyming slang, ‘hit me’,
which evolves to ‘kiss me’, to ‘kiss’. Sometimes abbreviated to ‘hit’
UK, 1933. 2 urine; alcoholic drink or (when used with ‘the’), drinking
or a session of drinking. Rhyming slang for PISS (and ON THE PISS)
AUSTRALIA, 1960
hit and run noun 1 a betting technique in which a player places a
single bet and withdraws from the game if he wins US, 1950. 2 the
sun. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
hit and run verb 1 in casino blackjack, to enter a game when the
count is advantageous to the players, to play a few games and
hipping | hit and run 334
then to move to another table US, 1991. 2 in poker, to play for a
short time, win heavily and quit the game
US, 1982

hit and run adjective 1 (used of entertainment engagements) in one
city one night, another city the next
US, 1976. 2 swindled. Rhyming
slang for ‘done’ (
DO) UK, 1992
hit-and-split noun a quick air attack followed by a quick retreat US,
1991
hitch noun 1 a period of duty or service US, 1905. 2 a jail sentence US,
1964
Hitch nickname Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980), television and film
director US, 1976
hitch verb to hitchhike. A colloquial shortening US, 1929. < hitch up
the reindeers; hitch up the reindeer to inhale powdered
cocaine. Punning variously on SNOW (cocaine) and SLEIGH RIDE (the
use of cocaine) US, 1986
hitched adjective married US, 1857
hitchhiker noun a commerical message played at the end of a radio
programme
US, 1980
hitch up verb to marry, to partner. Figurative application of a con-
ventional ‘hitch’ (a knot)
US, 1902
hit kiss noun the exchange of crack cocaine smoke from one user to
another through a kiss US, 1989
Hitler’s drug noun paramethoxyamphetamine, PMA. The drug was
originally created during World War 2 by Hitler’s chemists with the
intention of enabling Nazi soldiers to fight around the clock. In
1999 the Observer reported fears of the drug’s arrival in UK clubs
,
1999

hit list noun a list of targets for retaliation, either physical or
otherwise
US, 1972
hit man noun a professional killer US, 1963
hit on verb to flirt; to proposition US, 1954
hit or sit verb used for describing a player’s two choices in blackjack
or twenty-one–draw another card or not US, 1962
hits noun 1 LSD UK, 1998. 2 a pair of dice that have been altered so
that they will not roll a total of seven US, 1962
hitsville noun success. Used on the normally staid BBC Light
Programme, 30th June 1963
UK, 1963
hit team noun during the Vietnam conflict, a small unit of trained
scouts sent on a mission to kill the enemy
US, 1987
hitter noun 1 a hired killer US, 1959. 2 a crack cocaine pipe designed
for a single inhalation US, 2001
hit the hay verb to smoke marijuana US, 1942
hittin’ adjective excellent US, 1991
hitting; hittin’ adjective tasty US, 1993
hitting fluid noun heroin US, 1973
hit up verb 1 to inject a drug intravenously US, 1969. 2 to ask for
something US, 1988. 3 to go to US, 2002
hiya used as a casual greeting UK, 1940
hiya-butty-bay; hiya-butt-bay noun Trecco Bay, Porthcawl in south
Wales. In 1947 mining was nationalised and subsequent working
practices meant that entire communities relocated to the seaside
resort of Porthcawl for ‘miners’ fortnight’. The friendly greeting
‘hiya, butty’ (hello, friend) filled the air. The style of holidays
changed in the 1960s but the term is still in limited circulation UK:

WALES
, 2001
hiya kids used as a humorous greeting. The signature greeting used
on the children’s television programme Ed’s Gang (later Andy’s
Gang) (1951–58). Repeated with referential humour
US, 1955
hizzie nickname the room, apartment or house where someone lives
US, 2002
Hizzoner nickname used as a jocular reference to a mayor, especially
Richard J. Daley, mayor of Chicago from 1955 until his death in
1976. A slurred ‘his honor’
US, 1882
HK nickname Hong Kong. Current among the UK Chinese population
UK, 1998
HMCS how my companion snores. A jocular back-formation from
HCMS (Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship)
CANADA, 2002
HMFIC noun a commanding officer, or head motherfucker in charge
US, 1993
HNIC noun the leader of an enterprise, the head nigger in charge US,
1972
HO verb to withhold more than your share of something. An
initialism of ‘hold out’
US, 1950
ho; hoe noun 1 a sexually available woman; a woman who may be
considered sexually available; a prostitute. Originally black usage,
from the southern US pronunciation of ‘whore’; now widespread
through the influence of rap music US, 1959. 2 a woman. A
weakened variation of the previous sense
US, 1959. 3 a weak or

effeminate man US, 1996
ho; hoe verb to work as a prostitute US, 1972
hoaching; hotchin adjective full, teeming, crowded UK: SCOTLAND, 1911
hoachy adjective exceedingly lucky, fortunate UK: SCOTLAND, 1985
hoagons noun the female breasts US, 1968
ho, babe used as a student-to-student greeting US, 1959
hobber de hoy; hibber de hoy noun an adolescent boy, especially
a hooligan. Recorded as rhyming slang by Ray Puxley, Cockney
Rabbit, 1992; but probably directly from ‘hobbledehoy’, first
recorded in 1540, which, excepting the nuance of hooliganism, is
synonymous; ‘hobbledehoy’, however, is unlikely to be rhyming
slang as the earliest explicit reference to rhyming slang does not
appear until about 300 years later in John Camden Hotten’s The
Slang Dictionary, 1859
UK, 1992
hobby bobby noun a special constable, a part-time uniformed police
officer
UK, 2005
ho-bitch noun a female who has earned a complete lack of respect.
Used on those special occasions when just BITCH or just HO is just
not enough US, 1997
hobnail verb to walk NEW ZEALAND, 2000
hobnail expr ess noun travel by walking US, 1918
hobo noun 1 a vagrant. Uncertainly derived from ‘hoeboy’ (a migrant
agricultural labourer) or the exclamation ‘Ho boy!’ (used by mail
carriers)
US, 1885. 2 in trucking, a tractor trailer that is moved from
one terminal to another US, 1971. 3 a homing bomb, one with a
targeting capability US, 1975
hobo bet noun in craps, a bet on the number twelve. From the

number’s association with boxcars
US, 1985
hobo cocktail noun a glass of water US, 1947
hobosexual noun a person who is sexually active with several
partners in a short period of time US, 1985
Hobo Woods noun an area in South Vietnam which was a major
staging area for the North Vietnamese to launch attacks on Saigon
or Cu Chi City US, 1986
Hobson’s choice; hobsons noun 1 the only option that is offered
and, therefore, no choice at all. Widely claimed, since 1712, to
derive from Tobias Hobson, who hired out horses, and is reputed
to have compelled his customers to take whichever horse
happened to be next in line, or go without; however, ‘Hodgson’s
choise’ is recorded in 1617
UK, 1649. 2 the voice. Rhyming slang UK,
1937
Ho Chi Minh Motel noun a rest house used by the Viet Cong along
a trail or route
US, 1967
Ho Chi Minh sandals noun slip-on sandals made from the treads of
discarded tyres, designed and worn by the Viet Cong during the
Vietnam war
US, 1977
Ho Chi Minh’s curse noun diarrhoea. An existing formation of
‘somebody’s curse’ adapted in Vietnam US, 1991
Ho Chi Minh Trail noun Route 209 in northeast Pennsylvania US,
1977
hock noun 1 the male who takes the active role in homosexual
intercourse. Origin unknown. Ted Hartley in his glossary of prison
slang (1944) says that ‘hocks’ can mean ‘feet’, and is therefore in

335 hit and run | hock
some way related to the term HORSE’S HOOF. Simes, in his
Dictionary of Australian Underworld Slang (1993), suggests that ‘
hock’ is ‘feeble’ and rhyming slang for ‘cock’. Neither of these is
overwhelmingly convincing AUSTRALIA, 1944. 2 the foot UK, 1785. < in
hock
1 in debt, especially to a pawnbroker US, 1883. 2 in prison US, 1859
hock verb 1 to pawn US, 1878. 2 to clear the throat of phlegm. From a
confusion with conventional ‘hawk’ US, 1992. 3 to nag. From the
Yiddish US, 1961
hockey box; hock noun a male homosexual prostitute AUSTRALIA, 1985
hockey hair a hair style: the hair is worn short at the front and
long at the back. Better known, perhaps, as a
MULLET CANADA, 2000
hockeystick noun a mutton chop NEW ZEALAND, 1990
hock shop noun a pawnbroker’s shop UK, 1871
hocus noun a solution of heroin that has been heated and is ready
to inject
US, 1967
hocus verb to alter legitimate dice for cheating purposes US, 1950
hocus pocus; hocus noun cocaine, heroine, morphine or opium;
also marijuana. Best remembered as a stage magician’s
incantation, but claimed to be a mocking corruption of hoc est
corpus (this is the body); originally, 1650–1720, ‘a juggler/a
conjuror’; it was in circulation during C19 and into C20 in the
sense of ‘criminal deception/shady trickery’; in 1821 as ‘to stupefy
with alcohol’ (for the purposes of robbery) and hence ‘hocus’
became ‘a drugged liquor’ from as early as 1725 and well into C19
served as an adjective meaning ‘intoxicated’. All these meanings
condensed into a catalogue of hard drugs during C20; ‘marijuana’

joined the list in the 1980s
UK, 1938
hodad noun a non-surfer who associates with surfers and poses as a
surfer
US, 1961
hoddie noun a labourer working for a bricklayer AUSTRALIA, 1952
hod of shit noun a great deal of trouble US, 1981
hoe noun a fellow black man, usually in context of sexual bragging.
From HOMEBOY (close friend), punning on ‘hero’ US, 1987 8see: HO
hoedown noun a street fight between youth gangs US, 1993
hoe in verb to attack physically and with vigour NEW ZEALAND, 2002
hoe into verb to attack a task with vigour, especially the eating of a
meal AUSTRALIA, 1935
hoffing noun a fight, especially between youth gangs US, 1971
hog noun 1 a powerful motorcyle, especially a large Harley-Davidson
motorcyle US, 1965. 2 a utility helicopter equipped with rockets and
machine guns US, 1991. 3 a Cadillac or other large luxury car US, 1960.
4 the penis US, 1968. 5 a police officer. A variation on PIG (a police
officer) US, 1970. 6 a US Marine Corps recruit during basic training.
Contemptuous US, 1968. 7 a leader; a strong personality US, 1989. 8 a
drug addict who requires large doses to sustain his habit US, 1952.
9 heroin US, 2000. 10 marijuana. A term apparently coined by US
soliders during the conflict in Vietnam, drawn from ‘hash, o, grass’
US, 1968. 11 phencyclidine, the recreational drug known as PCP or
angel dust
US, 1971. 12 a strong sedative, trade name Benaceyzine™
US, 1977. 13 a computer program that uses a high degree of a
computer’s resources US, 1991. < beat the hog (used of a male) to
masturbate US, 1971. < hog is pork there is no difference between
the two alternatives being discussed TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003.

< on the hog homosexual US, 1976
hog verb 1 to speak rudely TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 2003. 2 to rape US, 1972.
3 in high-low poker, to declare for both high and low US, 1996
Hog-60 noun an M-60 machine gun. Each squad in Vietnam was
assigned an M-60, the army’s general purpose machine gun which
entered the service in the 1950s. It was designed to be lightweight
(23 pounds) and easy to carry. It produced a low ’grunting’ sound
and thus the porcine allusions
US, 1987
Hogan’s Alley nickname the Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades,
California. Hogan enjoyed great success there, especially in 1947
and 48 US, 1997
hog board noun a bulletin board where soldiers post pictures of
their families and girlfriends. Marine usage in Vietnam
US, 1974
hog eye; hogger; hoghead; hogineer; hog jerk; hog jockey
noun a railway engineer US, 1977
hog fuel noun sawdust and bark produced by sawmills, burnt to
generate steam for electricity
CANADA, 1989
hogging noun a romantic interest in heavy people US, 2004
hog jaws noun a special plough blade fitted to a D7E bulldozer, or
Rome Plow, for use in land clearing operations in Vietnam
US, 1991
hog-leg; hog leg noun 1 an oversized handgun US, 1919. 2 a large
marijuana cigarette
US, 1997
hog liver noun in electric line work, a flat porcelain guy strain
insulator
US, 1980

hogman noun a criminal who silences alarms while a crime is
committed UK, 1996
hogmaster; hogmauler noun a railway engineer US, 1977
hog out verb in motor mechanics, to enlarge an engine’s openings
or passages
US, 1993
hog pen noun a prison guards’ control room US, 1984
hog-tie verb to bind the hands and feet US, 1894
Hogtown nickname Toronto. Nicknamed for the early C20 growth of
farmer’s markets and slaughterhouses, Toronto has also continued
to be known as TORONTO THE GOOD CANADA, 1985
hog up verb to address with a lack of respect BARBADOS, 1965
hog wallow noun the slot used as a sighting plane on the topstrap
of a Colt or Smith and Wesson pistol
US, 1957
hogwash noun nonsense US, 1882
hog whimpering adjective very drunk UK, 1983
hoha noun a fuss NEW ZEALAND, 1983
hoha adjective weary NEW ZEALAND, 2003
ho-ho noun a fat teenage girl US, 1982
hoick verb 1 to spit AUSTRALIA, 1941. 2 to throw or chuck; to loft
AUSTRALIA, 1972. 3 to raise, to hoist. Sometimes spelt ‘hoik’ UK, 1898
hoicked-up adjective raised, especially artificially lifted UK, 2003
hoi polloi noun the common people; the unwashed masses UK, 1822
hoist noun < on the hoist engaged in shoplifting UK, 1958
hoist verb 1 to drink (an alcoholic beverage) UK, 1983. 2 to rob with
guns US, 1928. 3 to shoplift UK, 2000
hoister noun 1 a shoplifter; a pickpocket UK, 1790. 2 in circus and
carnival usage, a ferris wheel
US, 1981

hoisting noun shoplifting UK, 1936
hoisting bloomers noun a capacious undergarment used by
shoplifters
UK, 1956
hoity-toity adjective snobbish, haughty, assuming, uppish. Directly
from the earlier form ‘highty-tighty’ UK, 1720
Ho Jo’s nickname a Howard Johnson restaurant. A fixture along US
motorways in the 1950s and 60s
US, 1965
hokey; hoky; hokie adjective sentimental; mawkish; in poor taste US,
1927
hokey cokey noun karaoke. Rhyming slang for a modern singalong
entertainment enjoyed after a few drinks formed from the name
of a song and dance that used to be enjoyed after a few drinks UK,
1998
hokey-pokey noun 1 sexual intercourse. A play both on POKE (to
have sex) and the childrens’ song and dance, the ‘hokey cokey’
UK,
1983. 2 in circus and carnival usage, any shoddy, inexpensive
merchandise US, 1981
hokum noun nonsense US, 1921
hold noun in casino gambling, the amount of money bet that is
retained by the casino US, 1977. < in the hold hidden in a pocket
or elsewhere on the body US, 1961
hold verb 1 to be in possession of drugs US, 1935. 2 to be in
possession of money US, 1967. < get hold of to have sex with
someone
UK, 2003. < hold court to get in a shoot-out with police
US, 1974. < hold feet to the fire to apply great pressure and
demand results UK, 1995. < hold no brief for not to support or

actively sympathise with someone UK, 1918. < hold the bag to
take the blame US, 1985. < hold the fort; mind the fort to
hock | hold 336
manage temporarily in an absentee’s stead UK, 1870. < hold your
dick
to do nothing; to wait idly UK, 2001. < hold your mud to
stand up to pressure and adversity US, 1966. < hold your mug to
keep a secret
US, 1970
hold down verb 1 to maintain (a position of employment) US, 1896.
2 to control (a block or neighbourhood). Youth gang usage US, 1985
holder noun a prisoner, usually not a gang member, entrusted with
storing drugs controlled by a prison gang US, 1992
holding adjective in possession of ready cash AUSTRALIA, 1922
holding ground noun a position, literally or figuratively, where you
can weather adversity. From the nautical term for an area where
the sea bottom provides a firm hold for anchors
US, 1963
holding pen noun 1 a cell in a local jail where prisoners are held
when they first arrive, pending a decision on whether criminal
charges will be filed against them or not
US, 1981. 2 aboarding
school NEW ZEALAND, 2001
holding tank noun a cell at a local jail where the recently arrested
are held before being processed US, 1994
hold-it noun a gratuitous television view of a pretty girl or woman,
usually a spectator at a sporting event US, 1986
hold out on verb to refuse to give something, often information US,
1907
hold paddock noun a retirement home NEW ZEALAND, 1994

hold the bus!; haud the bus! slow down!; wait a minute! UK:
SCOTLAND
, 1988
hold the phone! wait a minute! US, 1975
hold with verb to agree with or approve of something or someone
UK, 1895
hold your horses verb used imperatively to urge inaction US, 1844
hole noun 1 the vagina; sex with a woman; a woman; women UK,
1592. 2 the anus UK, 1607. 3 the mouth US, 1865. 4 a passive, promiscu-
ous, unattached lesbian
US, 1992. 5 in prison, a cell designed for
solitary confinement. Always with ‘the’ UK, 1535. 6 an undesirable
place; a place that is dirty or disordered UK, 1876. 7 any place where
a supply of illegal drugs is hidden US, 1993. 8 a monetary or social
difficulty, a mess, a scrape UK, 1760. 9 the subway (underground) US,
1933. 10 a mine US, 1977. 11 on the railways, a passing track US, 1946.
12 in trucking, a position in the gear box US, 1971. 13 a tobacco ciga-
rette
US, 1971. 14 in drag racing, the starting line US, 1970. < after
his hole; after his end
of a man, seeking sex with a woman.
From HOLE (the vagina) or END (the penis) UK, 1961. < get your
hole
to have sexual intercourse IRELAND, 1991. < go in the hole to
fall from a pole, tower, rig or building under construction US, 1989.
< in the hole in police usage, hiding and avoiding work US, 1973
hole bit noun while in prison, a sentence to solitary confinement US,
1967
hole card noun 1 in stud poker, a card dealt face-down US, 1967. 2 a
resource in reserve US, 1926. 3 the key to a person’s character. From

the game of stud poker, in which a ‘hole card’ is a card dealt face-
down US, 1968
hole-in-one noun sexual intercourse on a first date. A puerile golf
metaphor US, 1972
hole in the ground; hole noun a pound. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
hole in the head noun the epitome of something that is not
needed at all. From Yiddish
US, 1951
hole in the wall noun 1 an automated cash machine UK, 1985. 2 in
trucking, a tunnel US, 1976
hole olie noun in stud poker, a card dealt face-down. A jocular
embellishment of HOLE CARD US, 1967
holes noun < the holes a location, such as a public lavatory, where
men may have anonymous sex with each other by means of holes
bored between private cubicles UK, 1996
hole shot noun in drag racing, the art of starting at the first possible
moment without incurring a foul for starting too soon
US, 1970
holetime noun solitary confinement in prison US, 1967
hole to bowl noun the path taken during defecation on a toilet US, 1969
hole up verb to hide UK, 1875
holey dollar noun a Spanish dollar with a hole punched in the
centre
CANADA, 1963
holiday noun in horse racing, the term of a suspension from
competing
AUSTRALIA, 1989
Holiday Inn noun any large US base camp in Vietnam where field
troops would stand down for several days before returning to
combat in the field US, 1986

HOLLAND written on an envelope, or at the foot of a lover’s letter
as lovers’ code for ‘here our love lies and never dies’ or ‘hope our
love lasts and never dies’. Widely known, and well used by
servicemen; now a part of the coded vocabulary of texting UK, 1984
holler verb to talk US, 2001
holler adjective stylish US, 1961
holler and hoot verb to engage in an abusive verbal attack UK, 2001
holler and shout noun a German. Rhyming slang for KRAUT UK, 1992
holler boys holler; holler boys noun a collar. Old rhyming slang,
originally ‘holloa boys’, ‘holloa’, from a chant used on Guy Fawkes
night, with a use dating back to the time of the detachable collar.
Modern use is reduced to the first two elements and often
without the ‘h’ UK, 1960
holli noun a marijuana cigarette which is placed in a pipe for
smoking US, 2001
holliers; hollyers noun holidays, vacation IRELAND, 1991
hollow leg noun a characteristic ascribed to someone who is able to
eat or drink in great quantities US, 1992
Hollyweird nickname Hollywood, California US, 1953
Hollywood noun 1 used as a teasing term of address for someone
whose clothes and mannerisms suggest a high level of
showmanship US, 1973. 2 a dramatic outburst NEW ZEALAND, 1983. 3 a
feigned injury NEW ZEALAND, 1972. 4 in hot rodding, an extravagant,
ostentatious exhaust system
US, 1958
Hollywood glider noun the B-17 Flying Fortress. The B-17 appeared
frequently in films
US, 1946
Hollywood no noun an answer of ‘no’ implicit in the failure to
return a phone call US, 1992

Hollywoods noun dark glasses US, 1966
Hollywood shower noun in Antarctica, a shower that exceeds the
two-minute showers permitted by military authorities ANTARCTICA,
2003
Hollywood stop noun a rolling stop at a traffic signal or a stop sign
US, 1986
Holmes noun used as a term of address from male-to-male. Playing
on the term ‘homes’ US, 1975
hols noun holidays (both singular and plural), a vacation UK, 1905
Holstein noun a police car. An allusion to the black and white
markings of the cow and a police car US, 1961
holy adjective great, extreme, 1978
holy cats! used for registering surprise, shock or alarm US, 2001
holy chain lightning! used as a mild oath in Nova Scotia CANADA,
1988
holy city noun in poker, a high-value hand US, 1988
holy cow! used as a mild oath, expressing surprise. Popularised by
baseball radio announcers Harry Caray and Phil Rizzuto US, 1927
holy crap! used for registering surprise. A variation of HOLY SHIT US,
2001
Holyfield noun fine quality marijuana. A neat pun using the name
of three-time world heavyweight champion boxer Evander ‘Real
Deal’ Holyfield (b.1962); here ‘holy’ implies ‘the purest’ and com-
bines with a ‘field (of grass)’, and Holyfield’s nickname ‘Real Deal’
guarantees the quality UK, 2000
Holyfield’s ear; ‘olyfields noun a year. Rhyming slang, formed in
honour of boxer Evander Holyfield, whose ear was bitten by his
opponent Mike Tyson during a 1997 world heavyweight title fight
UK, 1998
holy fuck! used for registering shock or surprise US, 1982

337 hold down | holy fuck!
holy ghost noun 1 the corpse of a person who has died from
gunshot wounds
US, 1987. 2 a coast. Glasgow rhyming slang UK:
SCOTLAND
, 1988. 3 in racing, the starting post or the winning post.
Rhyming slang
UK, 1932. 4 toast. Rhyming slang UK, 1960
holy guacamole! used satirically as a register of shock or surprise.
‘Guacamole’ is pronounced to rhyme with ‘holy’
UK, 2003
Holy Joe noun any religious leader. The term suggests a lack of
sincerity US, 1864
Holy Lands noun an area of central Belfast. Named for its principal
arteries: Damascus Street, Jerusulam Street and Canterbury Street
UK: NORTHERN IRELAND, 2001
holy man! used as a powerful exclamation. Michigan Upper
Peninsula usage US, 2003
holy moo cow! used as an expression of complete surprise. A
jocular embellishment of the more common
HOLY COW! US, 1968
holy nail noun bail. Rhyming slang UK, 1992
holy of holies noun 1 the vagina. A crude pun on HOLE US, 1994.
2 any inner sanctum US, 1995
holy oil noun an oil applied to the skin or clothing in the belief that
it will bring the bettor luck in an illegal number gambling lottery
US, 1949
holy old mackinaw! used as a curse CANADA, 1988
holy old snappin’ arseholes! used as an oath in Nova Scotia with
allusions to both the lobster and fear CANADA, 1988

holy olie noun in stud poker, the hole card US, 1951
holy shit! used for registering astonishment US, 1986
holy show noun an embarrassment, a ridiculous sight IRELAND, 1984
holy smoke noun branded soft drink Coca-Cola™, Coke™. Rhyming
slang, originally used of the solid fuel UK, 1992
holy smoke! used as a exclamation of surprise and wonder UK, 1892
holy snappin’! used as a curse or oath CANADA, 1982
holy Toledo! used for registering surprise. A little bit of Holy Toledo
goes a long way. A trademark of Milo Hamilton, radio broadcaster
for the Houston Astros baseball team, and often used by Skipper,
the son of Jungle Jim on Jungle Jim (1955) US, 1951
holy war noun a debate among computer enthusiasts about a
question which has no objective answer
US, 1991
holy water noun 1 official approval. US naval aviator usage; to give
such approval is to ‘sprinkle holy water’ US, 1986. 2 a daughter.
Rhyming slang UK, 1992
holy weed noun marijuana US, 2001
holy week noun the bleed period of a woman’s menstrual cycle US,
1964
holy whistlin’ frig! used as a curse in Nova Scotia CANADA, 1988
hom verb < hom it up to flaunt your homosexuality. Substitutes an
abbreviation of ‘homosexual’ for CAMP (affected) in ‘camp it up’ (to
flaunt affectation) UK, 2001
hombre noun 1 a man. Spanish hombre (a man), spread worldwide
by Hollywood Westerns such as Hombre, 1967, starring Paul
Newman
US, 1846. 2 a male friend. Adapted from the previous
sense; this usage possibly informed by a phonetic similarity to
HOMEBOY (a close friend) UK, 2001. 3 heroin. From Spanish hombre (a

man) US, 1998
home noun 1 a very close male friend. An abbreviation of HOMEBOY
US, 1944. 2 the vein into which an intravenous drug user injects a
drug
US, 1973. < at home in the going in horse racing, said of a
horse that is running a track that complements the horse’s skills
and preferences US, 1951. < send home to sentence to prison US,
1990
Home nickname England or Great Britain. As used by C18–19
colonists this is par for the course, and that their direct
descendants would use this also is hardly surprising, however, this
locution remained in common use (in speech, if not by self-
conscious writers) well into C20 and only began to die out in the
1970s. Now it is very much a thing of the past AUSTRALIA, 1808
home and dry adjective safe and sound; having accomplished an
arduous task
UK, 1930
home and hosed adjective 1 (of a racehorse) expected to win
AUSTRALIA, 1975. 2 all finished and done with. Said of a task that is
easily accomplished
AUSTRALIA, 1945
homebake noun morphine or heroin extracted from codeine
compounds
NEW ZEALAND, 2002
homebaker noun a person who illegally manufactures drugs NEW
ZEALAND
, 1986
home base; home run noun in the teenage categorisation of sexual
activity, sexual intercourse US, 1963
home box noun a computer enthusiast’s own computer US, 1991

homeboy noun a very close male friend, often but not always from
the same neighbourhood
US, 1899
home cooking noun sex with your spouse US, 1964
homee noun 8see: OMEE
home ec noun home economics, in which the theory and practice
of homemaking are studied
US, 1899
home-ec-y adjective (used of a girl) conventional, out of touch with
current fashions, styles and trends US, 1970
homee-palone noun 8see: OMEE-PALONE
homegirl noun a very close female friend, usually from the same
neighbourhood, gang or faction of a gang; usually applied to a
black girl US, 1934
homegrown noun marijuana, cultivated locally US, 1974
homeguard noun a local worker, as contrasted with a travelling or
migratory worker; a local resident US, 1903
homemade noun 1 a cigarette rolled by hand from loose tobacco US,
1954
. 2 a home-made pistol US, 1949
home on the range noun change. Rhyming slang AUSTRALIA, 1989
home on the range adjective strange. Rhyming slang, formed from
the title of a well-known cowboy anthem (actually, the official song
of the state of Kansas) UK, 1998
home plate noun an aeroplane’s home base or carrier US, 1991
home port noun a trucker’s residence. Jocular use US, 1976
homer noun 1 a job done privately by a tradesman outside of his
regular employment. Glasgow slang UK: SCOTLAND, 1996. 2 a wound
sufficiently serious to require treatment away from the theatre of
war

AUSTRALIA, 1945. 3 a referee or sports official who favours the
home team US, 1888
Homer noun any Iraqi soldier. Gulf war usage; an allusion to the
doltish Homer Simpson of television cartoon fame US, 1991
homers noun home-brewed beer. A gift to the slang of the South
Pole from its Australian visitors AUSTRALIA, 1970
home run noun the journey of a circus from the final engagement
of the season to the winter quarters US, 1980 8see: HOME BASE.
< hit a home run to have sex US, 2001
homerunner noun an artillery shell that hits its target directly US, 1991
homes noun used as a term of address, usually establishing comrade
status US, 1971
home skillet noun a close friend US, 1993
homeslice noun 1 a close friend US, 1984. 2 a prisoner from your
home city US, 1992
homesteader noun 1 an American who had been in Vietnam for
more than a few years
US, 1991. 2 a person who is dating one
person steadily. High school usage US, 1961
Homesteader’s Bible noun the Eaton department store catalogue
CANADA, 1987
homesteader’s fiddle noun a cross-cut saw CANADA, 1954
home sweet home noun in circus and carnival usage, the final per-
formance of a season
US, 1981
hometown honey noun a college student’s date from their
hometown US, 1968
holy ghost | hometown honey 338
home twenty noun a person’s home town. From citizens’ band
radio code in which ‘20’ means ‘location’

US, 1976
homework noun foreplay US, 1993. < bit of homework; piece of
homework
a person objectified sexually UK, 1945
homewrecker noun a person whose affair with a married person
leads to divorce, especially when there are children involved US, 1968
homey; homie noun a male from your neighbourhood; a close male
friend; a fellow youth gang member
US, 1944
homey, don’t play dat! don’t say that! A catchphrase from the
television programme In Living Color
US, 1990
homicide noun heroin or cocaine mixed with prescription drugs,
such as scopolamine or strychnine UK, 1998
homie noun a homosexual US, 1990 8
homing pigeon noun the US armed forces insignia designating
honourable discharge
US, 1946
homintern noun an aggressive, loyal homosexual subculture. A term
coined by W.H. Auden, punning on the Marxist ‘comintern’ or
Communist International US, 1968
homme noun a homosexual male. A pun on French homme (a man)
and the first syllable of homosexual UK, 2005
homo noun 1 a homosexual, especially a male homosexual US, 1922.
2 used as an insulting term of address to someone who is not
homosexual US, 1993
homogrips noun sideburns NEW ZEALAND, 1998
homo-hater noun a person with a pathological dislike for homosex-
uals US, 1979
homo heaven noun 1 a public area where homosexuals congregate

in hopes of quick sex
US, 1965. 2 the upper balcony in a theatre
patronised by homosexual men US, 1966
homosexual adapter noun a computer cable with either two male
or two female connectors
US, 1991
hon noun used as a term of endearment. A shortened ‘honey’.
Fiercely claimed by Baltimore, Maryland, as a Baltimore-coinage US,
1906
hon bun noun used as a term of endearment. A shortened ‘honey
bunny’ US, 1940s
honcho noun a boss, a big-shot. From the Japanese term for ‘a
group or squad leader’ US, 1945
Honda rice noun IR8, a high-yielding variety of rice introduced in
Vietnam in the 1960s, doubling rice production yields US, 1985
hondo noun 1 an attractive, popular male US, 1986. 2 a zealous
enthusiast US, 1968
honest noun cherry syrup added to a soda fountain drink. From the
American legend of George Washington’s honesty when asked as a
child if he cut down a cherry tree US, 1946
honest adjective (used of a drug) relatively pure and undiluted US, 1970
honest! I am speaking the truth!; I do mean it! A shortening of
‘honestly’ UK, 1937
Honest Abe noun General Creighton Williams Abrams, Jr
(1914–1974). Abrams succeeded General Westmoreland as US
commander in Vietnam, where he championed the
Vietnamisation of the war US, 1991
honest brakeman adjective a person who engages in petty theft at
work but not grand theft. From the faint praise – ‘he worked for
the railroad for thirty years and never stole a boxcar’ CANADA, 2002

honest injun’ used as a pledge of complete honesty US, 1851
honest John noun 1 a decent, upstanding, law-abiding citizen US, 1884.
2 in a shoplifting operation, an honest-looking confederate who
distracts the store personnel US, 1974
honest kine? is that right? Hawaiian youth usage US, 1981
honestly! used as an expression of disgust, exasperation, unpleasant
surprise, etc UK, 1966
honest reader noun a playing card with an unintentional
imperfection that enables an observant player to identify it in
another player’s hand US, 1988
honest squeeze noun a cherry squeeze soda fountain drink. An
allusion to the George Washington myth involving the cutting
down of a cherry tree
US, 1952
honest-to-God; honest-to-goodness adjective true, genuine,
thorough, honest; truly, genuinely, thoroughly, honestly
US, 1913
honey noun 1 a sexually attractive young woman. Sometimes spelled
‘hunny’
US, 1930. 2 a female surfer or a male surfer’s girlfriend US,
1986
. 3 a sexually desirable person UK: SCOTLAND, 1985. 4 an
‘effeminate’ lesbian
US, 1978. 5 used as a term of affectionate
address
UK, 1350. 6 anything considered pleasing, attractive, effective,
etc
US, 1888 8see: POT OF HONEY
honey bear noun a policewoman. Extended from BEAR (police) US,
1976

honey blunt noun marijuana rolled in the outer leaves of a cigar
which are then sealed with honey
US, 2003
honey box noun the vagina US, 1969
honey bucket noun 1 a portable toilet US, 1976. 2 a chamberpot US,
1931. 3 a truck used to empty septic tanks US, 1971
honey cart noun a vehicle hauling human excrement; a portable
toilet US, 1929
honey dip noun an attractive woman, especially one with a light
brown skin colour US, 1993
honey dipper noun the driver of a truck that drains septic tanks US,
1961
honey dipping noun vaginal secretions US, 1949
honey-fuck verb 1 to have sex in a slow, affectionate manner US, 1964.
2 to have sex with a Lolita-aged nymphet US, 1967
honey, I’m home! used for humorously announcing an entrance.
From the Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66), a centrepiece in the
golden age of the situation comedy on US television
US, 1988
honeyman noun a procurer of prostitutes; a man who makes his
living off the earnings of prositutes US, 1982
honeymoon noun 1 sex. Used by prostitutes in Southeast Asia
during the Vietnam war US, 1976. 2 the early period in a drug
addiction US, 1952. 3 the first few hands played by a new player in a
poker game
US, 1996
honey oil noun the recreational drug ketamine US, 1994
honey perrs noun stairs. Glasgow rhyming slang, formed on a street-
vendors cry for ‘sweet pears’
UK: SCOTLAND, 1996

honeypot noun 1 the vagina. Recorded as rhyming slang for TWAT
(the vagina) It certainly rhymes, but must surely be influenced – if
not inspired – by senses that are conventional, figurative and
slang. Found once in the UK in 1719, and then in general slang
usage with ‘candy’ US, 1958. 2 in male homosexual usage, the anus
and rectum
US, 1981. 3 a chamber pot US, 1954. 4 in Maine, a muddy
hole in the road US, 1975
honey shot noun a gratuitous television view of a pretty girl or
woman, usually a spectator at a sporting event US, 1968
honeytrap noun the seduction by a sexually attractive person of a
politican or other prominent figure into dishonest or indiscreet
behaviour. Used in conversation since the early 1990s NEW ZEALAND,
2002
honey wagon noun 1 a vehicle hauling human excrement; a
portable toilet
US, 1923. 2 a truck hauling beer US, 1976. 3 acatering
truck
US, 1992
Hongcouver nickname the city of Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada
CANADA, 2002
Hong Kong verb to be odoriferous. Rhyming slang for PONG UK, 1992
Hong Kong adjective wrong. Rhyming slang UK, 1998
hong-yen noun heroin, originally in pill form US, 1949
honk noun pleasure; enjoyment US, 1964
honk verb 1 to moan, to complain. A military usage UK, 1995. 2 to
vomit UK, 1967. 3 to fart. Also used as a noun. From the noise of
geese – low-flying geese may be offered as an excuse – or ‘honk’
(to smell), 1998. 4 to smell badly AUSTRALIA, 1977. 5 to inhale drugs,

originally through the nose US, 1968. 6 when flying an aeroplane or
339 home twenty | honk